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Snapshot testing only

Techniques Back
Published : May 19, 2020
NOT ON THE CURRENT EDITION
This blip is not on the current edition of the Radar. If it was on one of the last few editions, it is likely that it is still relevant. If the blip is older, it might no longer be relevant and our assessment might be different today. Unfortunately, we simply don't have the bandwidth to continuously review blips from previous editions of the Radar. Understand more
May 2020
Hold ?

The value of snapshot testing is undeniable when working with legacy systems by ensuring that the system continues to work and the legacy code doesn't break. However, we're seeing the common, rather harmful practice of using snapshot testing only as the primary test mechanism. Snapshot tests validate the exact result generated in the DOM by a component, not the component's behavior; therefore, it can be weak and unreliable, fostering the "only delete the snapshot and regenerate it" bad practice. Instead, you should test the logic and behavior of the components emulating what users would do. This mindset is encouraged by tools in the Testing Library family.

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