Testing Model Validations?

 

ASP.NET MVC 2 allows you to do data validation, either using the de-facto Data Annotations or plugging in your own, much in the same way xVal work. If you’re interested in seeing how that works, take a look at this post.

This post however concerns testing. Here’s some code:

[AcceptVerbs(HttpVerbs.Post)]

public ActionResult Create(Customer customer)

{

    if (ModelState.IsValid)

    {

    return RedirectToAction("Index");

    }

    return View(customer);

}

.csharpcode, .csharpcode pre
{
font-size: small;
color: black;
font-family: consolas, “Courier New”, courier, monospace;
background-color: #ffffff;
/*white-space: pre;*/
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.csharpcode pre { margin: 0em; }
.csharpcode .rem { color: #008000; }
.csharpcode .kwrd { color: #0000ff; }
.csharpcode .str { color: #006080; }
.csharpcode .op { color: #0000c0; }
.csharpcode .preproc { color: #cc6633; }
.csharpcode .asp { background-color: #ffff00; }
.csharpcode .html { color: #800000; }
.csharpcode .attr { color: #ff0000; }
.csharpcode .alt
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width: 100%;
margin: 0em;
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.csharpcode .lnum { color: #606060; }

This code checks to see if my model is valid. If it is, it then saves it (not in the code) and redirects to the index action, thus producing a RedirectToActionResult. If it is not valid, it will return a ViewResult. Here’s the model:

public class Customer

{

    [Required]

    public string FirstName { get; set; }

    [Required]

    public string LastName { get; set; }

}

.csharpcode, .csharpcode pre
{
font-size: small;
color: black;
font-family: consolas, “Courier New”, courier, monospace;
background-color: #ffffff;
/*white-space: pre;*/
}
.csharpcode pre { margin: 0em; }
.csharpcode .rem { color: #008000; }
.csharpcode .kwrd { color: #0000ff; }
.csharpcode .str { color: #006080; }
.csharpcode .op { color: #0000c0; }
.csharpcode .preproc { color: #cc6633; }
.csharpcode .asp { background-color: #ffff00; }
.csharpcode .html { color: #800000; }
.csharpcode .attr { color: #ff0000; }
.csharpcode .alt
{
background-color: #f4f4f4;
width: 100%;
margin: 0em;
}
.csharpcode .lnum { color: #606060; }

Given the previous, what would you expect the following test to do? Pass or fail?

    [Fact]

    public void wont_give_you_any_hints()

    {

    var controller = new CustomerController();

    var customer = new Customer();

    customer.FirstName = "Jak a.k.a. Casey";

    customer.LastName = String.Empty;

    var result = controller.Create(customer);

    Assert.IsType(typeof(ViewResult), result);

    }

.csharpcode, .csharpcode pre
{
font-size: small;
color: black;
font-family: consolas, “Courier New”, courier, monospace;
background-color: #ffffff;
/*white-space: pre;*/
}
.csharpcode pre { margin: 0em; }
.csharpcode .rem { color: #008000; }
.csharpcode .kwrd { color: #0000ff; }
.csharpcode .str { color: #006080; }
.csharpcode .op { color: #0000c0; }
.csharpcode .preproc { color: #cc6633; }
.csharpcode .asp { background-color: #ffff00; }
.csharpcode .html { color: #800000; }
.csharpcode .attr { color: #ff0000; }
.csharpcode .alt
{
background-color: #f4f4f4;
width: 100%;
margin: 0em;
}
.csharpcode .lnum { color: #606060; }

I’ll give you a hint. It fails. Now I understand why it fails. My problem however is that for me to test my model is valid is going to force me to change the way I have to write my code, and potentially make it less readable.