Hey Drew,

I'm kinda stumped on this one.  I thought it should be a simple matter of
creating a stub for the injected event but it appears that I am missing
something.
I have a command which injects an event:

[*Inject*]
*public* *var* event:UserEvent;

  *override* *public* *function* execute():*void*

 {

 *if* ( event.usersCollection ) {

  *if* ( !event.usersCollection.length ) {

  eventDispatcher.dispatchEvent ( *new* ViewEvent (
ViewEvent.SET_VIEW_STATE, *false*, *false*, StateConstants.NEW_USER ) );

  } *else* *if* ( event.usersCollection.length ) {

  eventDispatcher.dispatchEvent ( *new* ViewEvent (
ViewEvent.SET_VIEW_STATE, *false*, *false*, StateConstants.SELECT_USER ) );

  }

 }

 }

I am testing the individual conditions of the command.  Here is my setup:

[*Rule*]
*public* *var* rule:MockolateRule = *new* MockolateRule();

  [*Mock*]
*public* *var* instanceEvent:UserEvent;

  *private* *var* instanceCommand:ViewStateDecisionCommand;

 *private* *var* collection:ArrayCollection;

  [*Before*]
*public* *function* setUp():*void*

 {

 collection = *new* ArrayCollection();

 instanceCommand = *new* ViewStateDecisionCommand();

 instanceCommand.eventDispatcher = *new* EventDispatcher();

 }

  [*After*]

 *public* *function* tearDown():*void*

 {

 instanceCommand = *null*;

 }

I don't even make it into my test method before I get the following runtime
exception (I've highlighted the actual error below, Line 40 is actually the
event's call to *super*(type, bubbles, cancelable);):

[SWF] FlexUnitApplication.swf - 3,994,601 bytes after decompression

FloxyMockolateFactory prepareClassRecipes [class UserEvent],

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses 1 [class UserEvent],

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses classToPrepare [class UserEvent]

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses namespacesToProxy

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses proxy
mockolate.generated:UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers dynamicClass addSuper
UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers superClass UserEvent

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  clone true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  usersCollection true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  faultMessage true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers superClass Event

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  stopPropagation true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  stopImmediatePropagation true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  preventDefault true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  isDefaultPrevented true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  formatToString true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  toString true

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers method  clone false

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  currentTarget true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  eventPhase true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  type true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  bubbles true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  cancelable true -1

ProxyGenerator.addSuperClassMembers property  target true -1

[SWF] FlexUnitApplication.swf/[[DYNAMIC]]/1 - 5,344 bytes after
decompression

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses loaded item [class
UserEvent],,mockolate.generated:UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEB F5F500

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses loaded
mockolate.generated::UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500

ProxyRepository.prepareClasses loaded [class UserEvent] [class
UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500]

FloxyMockolateFactory prepareClassRecipes prepared [class UserEvent] [class
UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500]

FloxyMockolateFactory prepareClassRecipes classRecipe [ClassRecipe
classToPrepare=[class UserEvent] namespacesToProxy=[] proxyClass=null]

FloxyMockolateFactory prepareClassRecipes complete [class
UserEvent],,mockolate.generated:UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEB F5F500

ProxyRepository.createWithProxyClass [class
UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500] ,,,,

TypeError: Error #2007: Parameter type must be non-null.

at flash.events::Event/ctor()

at flash.events::Event()

at
com.fitmetrix.events::UserEvent()[/crypt/myApp/src/com/myapp/events/UserEve nt.as:40]

at mockolate.generated::UserEventD88B6B79B0FD8F435ED6E256A55B83AFEBF5F500()

at
org.flemit.util::ClassUtility$/createClass6()[/Users/drew/Development/works pace-burrito/flemit/flemit/src/org/flemit/util/ClassUtility.as:66]

at Function/http://adobe.com/AS3/2006/builtin::apply()

at
org.flemit.util::ClassUtility$/createClass()[/Users/drew/Development/worksp ace-burrito/flemit/flemit/src/org/flemit/util/ClassUtility.as:57]

at
org.floxy::ProxyRepository/createWithProxyClass()[/Users/drew/Development/w orkspace-burrito/floxy/floxy/src/org/floxy/ProxyRepository.as:94]

at
mockolate.ingredients.floxy::FloxyMockolateFactory/createInstance()[/Users/ abourne/Workspaces/drewbourne/mockolate/mockolate/src/mockolate/ingredients /floxy/FloxyMockolateFactory.as:122]

at
mockolate.ingredients.floxy::FloxyMockolateFactory/prepareInstance()[/Users /abourne/Workspaces/drewbourne/mockolate/mockolate/src/mockolate/ingredient s/floxy/FloxyMockolateFactory.as:92]

at
global/asx.array::forEach()[/Users/drew/Development/workspace-oss-/asx/asx/ src/asx/array/forEach.as:12]

at
mockolate.ingredients.floxy::FloxyMockolateFactory/prepareInstances()[/User s/abourne/Workspaces/drewbourne/mockolate/mockolate/src/mockolate/ingredien ts/floxy/FloxyMockolateFactory.as:80]

at
mockolate.ingredients::Mockolatier/prepareInstances()[/Users/abourne/Worksp aces/drewbourne/mockolate/mockolate/src/mockolate/ingredients/Mockolatier.a s:193]

at
mockolate.runner.statements::InjectMockInstances/evaluate()[/Users/abourne/ Workspaces/drewbourne/mockolate/mockolate/src/mockolate/runner/statements/I njectMockInstances.as:49]

at
org.flexunit.internals.runners.statements::StatementSequencer/executeStep() [E:\hudson\jobs\FlexUnit4-Flex4.1\workspace\FlexUnit4\src\org\flexunit\inte rnals\runners\statements\StatementSequencer.as:98]

at
org.flexunit.internals.runners.statements::StatementSequencer/handleChildEx ecuteComplete()[E:\hudson\jobs\FlexUnit4-Flex4.1\workspace\FlexUnit4\src\or g\flexunit\internals\runners\statements\StatementSequencer.as:141]

at
org.flexunit.token::AsyncTestToken/sendResult()[E:\hudson\jobs\FlexUnit4-Fl ex4.1\workspace\FlexUnit4\src\org\flexunit\token\AsyncTestToken.as:107]

at
Function/<anonymous>()[/Users/abourne/Workspaces/drewbourne/mockolate/mocko late/src/mockolate/runner/statements/PrepareMockClasses.as:34]

at flash.events::EventDispatcher/dispatchEventFunction()

at flash.events::EventDispatcher/dispatchEvent()

at Function/http://adobe.com/AS3/2006/builtin::apply()

at SetIntervalTimer/onTimer()

at flash.utils::Timer/_timerDispatch()

at flash.utils::Timer/tick()

Hey there,

I believe the problem is that Mockolate by default passes in NULL as a  
default for constructor arguments. As the stack dump indicates:
TypeError: Error #2007: Parameter type must be non-null.
The event class doesn't agree with this...

I guess if you declare your mock like this:

[Mock(inject="false")]
public var instanceEvent:UserEvent;

And in your setUp() method instantiate it like this:
instanceEvent = stub(UserEvent,"instanceEvent", "eventType", ... other  
constructor args);

That will prevent mockolate from instantiating your class by default  
and letting you create it with valid ctor args at a later stage.

hope that helps (and I hope it's correct what I'm claiming here hehe)

cheers,

Roland Zwaga

Hi Roland!

Thanks so much for your help.  Your idea made total sense, however, it
unfortunately didn't resolve the issue.
I ended up removing the Rule and Mock altogether and instantiated the event
directly into the command in the test, which resolved the problem.
On the downside, I don't understand why your solution didn't work, If
inject="false" prepares the class only and does not create the prepared
Mockolate then prepare has to be needing additional constructor arguments in
this case.  But even if I provide the required type argument in the Mock
declaration:

[*Mock *( inject=*"false"*)]
*public* *var* instanceEvent:UserEvent = *new* UserEvent (
UserEvent.GET_USERS_RESULT );

I still get the same error.  So, I have to ask, can events be stubbed with a
required type constructor argument?
Even if that did work, It wouldn't be desirable for me in my case as I have
several types that I wish to test in this Test class.

[*Test*]

 *public* *function*testInstanceDispatchesEvent_dispatchesEvent_instanceCommandDispat chesViewEvent():
*void*{

 collection = *new* ArrayCollection();

 instanceCommand.event = *new* UserEvent ( UserEvent.GET_USERS_RESULT, *
false*, *false*, collection );

 *var* count:Number = 0;

 instanceCommand.eventDispatcher.addEventListener(ViewEvent.SET_VIEW_STATE,
*function* ( event : ViewEvent ) : Number { *return* count++; } );

 instanceCommand.execute();

 assertEquals(1,count);

 }

Hey Doug,

this might be either me misunderstanding the documentation, or perhaps  
this is a bug. From what I understand adding the inject=false argument  
prevents Mockolate from pre-instantiating the class.

Drew, are you able to shed some light on this?

cheers,

Roland Zwaga

Doug,

Can you elaborate on why you want to mock simple objects such as Events?

Typically using a normal instance of an Event is recommended as they should
not have any complex behaviour that requires mocking or verifying.

As for mocking objects with required constructor arguments you can do so
like the examples in this gist: https://gist.github.com/1277943

cheers,
Drew

Drew,

Mainly because I am experimenting with the framework and working to
understand, document, and share what Mockolate can do for me in my tests.
In this case, I am not trying to Mock the event, as it is not under test - I
just wanted it to fulfill the dependency of the CUT as a stub.
So given that I've got this framework implementation, why not provide a
Mockolate stub rather than a direct instantiation?  I wouldn't have to make
decisions about what or what not to stub, I would just have a workflow.
The question keeps coming up, "Should I stub this dependency, or provide it
as a direct instantiation?"

Doug

Thanks for the gist example!!
Very cool, I like how you can create Mockolates for each event type using
that approach and consolidate their asserts into a single related test case.

Hi Doug,

with events and VOs, I have a script that makes an extending class "SomeEventSupport" which automatically stubs its own values (unless provided). This isolates the test from the constructor of the event. I wouldn't go so far as to mock an event as there's no behaviour to stub / verify, and mocking with values provided for the constructor doesn't help you as you're not isolated from the constructor args for that class.

So - "direct instantiation vs mockolate stub" misses the 3rd option - a support class that populates its own constructor args.  I usually pass a single property (a uint) that I use to make the other properties unique - eg passing 3 to an item with a title would give it "Title3" as that property.

For types you can either isolate that by having more than one support class per type, or using the constant itself.

Stray

On 11 Oct 2011, at 13:41, dougrdotnet wrote:

That reminds me you could also use [Mock(type="partial", args="eventArgs")]
which will inject an instance using the constructor args AND behave like the
regular event unless you set Expectations for it.

cheers,
Drew

Drew,

Ya, that worked - here is my setup:

[*Rule*]
*public* *var* rule:MockolateRule = *new* MockolateRule();

  [*Mock *( type = *"partial"*, args = *"userEventArgs"* )]
*public* *var* instanceEvent:UserEvent;

  *public* *var* userEventArgs:Array = [UserEvent.GET_USERS_RESULT, *false*,
*false*, collection];

  *private* *var* instanceCommand:ViewStateDecisionCommand;

 *private* *var* collection:ArrayCollection;

  [*Before*]
*public* *function* setUp():*void
*{
collection = *new* ArrayCollection();
instanceCommand = *new* ViewStateDecisionCommand();
instanceCommand.eventDispatcher = *new* EventDispatcher();

And then in the test I needed to set the userCollection argument to the
collection AC, stub the instanceEvent, and assign the instanceCommand.event
property to the stub:

[*Test*]
*public* *function*testInstanceDispatchesEvent_dispatchesEvent_instanceCommandDispat chesViewEvent():
*void*{
instanceEvent.usersCollection = collection;
stub(instanceEvent);
instanceCommand.event = instanceEvent;
*var* count:Number = 0;
instanceCommand.eventDispatcher.addEventListener(ViewEvent.SET_VIEW_STATE, *
function* ( event : ViewEvent ) : Number { *return* count++; } );
instanceCommand.execute();
assertEquals(1,count);