django.test: @override_settings(LANGUAGE_CODE = 'xx') does not affect the default language in a test

[Yunshi Tan]

Let's say we have a default language code in settings.py
 
   LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en'

Then we have

  >> from django.utils import translation
  >> assert translation.get_language() == 'en'

We are good by now.

Then in a test, I would like to override the default language. Let's say I have

@override_settings(LANGUAGE_CODE='fr')

class SomeTestCase(TestCase):

    def test_some_case(self):
        self.assert(translation.get_language(), 'en')  # it will pass
        self.assert(translation.get_language(), 'fr')  # it would fail
       

Is this a bug? 

[Tom Evans]

I don't think so, if simply because 'translation.get_language()' gets
the currently activated language, not what the current value of
"settings.LANGUAGE_CODE" is.

LANGUAGE_CODE shouldn't normally change, so I don't think any code
detecting when it is changed is warranted. It seems that what you want
to do is to change the currently activated language and perform some
tests - translation.activate_language() serves this purpose better
than patching settings.

Cheers

Tom