How to get Junit 4 to ignore a Base Test Class?

Question

I have a base class for many tests that has some helper methods they all need.

It does not by itself have any tests on it, but JUnit (in eclipse) is invoking the test runner on it and complaining that there are no methods to test.

How can I make it ignore this class?

I know I could add a dummyTest method that would solve the problem, but it would also appear for all the children classes.

Suggestions?

See similar question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/672466/junit-how-to-avoid-no-runnable-methods-in-test-utils-classes — Synox, Sep 03 '12 at 06:41
i just came to know that incase we write a testcase then there should be atleast 1 @Test method inside the testcase and its mandotory. Other wise it would give us initialization error. Is it true? — Shiva Komuravelly, Nov 16 '12 at 06:24

score 106 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 26 '13 at 15:23

106

Use to @Ignore annotation. It also works on classes. See this one:

@Ignore public class IgnoreMe {
                        @Test public void test1() { ... }
                        @Test public void test2() { ... }
                }

Also, you can annotate a class containing test methods with @Ignore and none of the containing tests will be executed.

Source: JUnit JavaDoc

edited Mar 26 '13 at 15:23

studgeek

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answered Jan 20 '09 at 15:12

guerda

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I agree that this should work, so +1. Except with netbeans 6.2 and jUnit 4.5 @ignore is listed as only being valid for Methods. – Allain Lalonde Jan 20 '09 at 15:18
Looking it up and Libary's called 4.5 but the jar is junit4-1.jar weird. Accepted your answer. Thanks. – Allain Lalonde Jan 20 '09 at 15:22
Can you point me to valid reference where it says @Ignore is valid for methods only from junit 4.5? I can't seem to find it. – deepakraut Apr 25 '13 at 10:59
...and if I want to ignore test for all methods except one (instead of putting @ignore above each method)? – O.Badr Aug 14 '16 at 23:48

score 34 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 25 '13 at 14:20

34

Just as a note, I'd always recommend giving a reason for the ignore:

@Ignore("This test will prove bug #123 is fixed, once someone fixes it")

I'm hoping the junit xml report formatter, used when running tests from ant, will one day include the ignored count (and the reasons) along with pass, fail, and error.

edited Apr 25 '13 at 14:20

guerda

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answered Jan 29 '09 at 13:05

matt burns

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Years passed, but the `bug #123` is not fixed yet..) – J-Alex Jan 16 '19 at 16:49

Aaron Digulla · Answer 3 · 2017-05-30T12:24:13.107

25

Making the class abstract should be enough for JUnit 4. If it doesn't work, double check which version of JUnit you're using.

This also communicates your intent that this is just a fragment of a test.

It also prevents JUnit from counting the tests in the class as "ignored" (so the final count of ignored tests will be what you expect).

Alternatively, rename the class. Most of the runners use the class name to determine which classes are tests and which are helpers. In Maven with the default settings, you just have to make sure the base class doesn't begin or end with Test and doesn't end with TestCase (http://maven.apache.org/surefire/maven-surefire-plugin/examples/inclusion-exclusion.html)

edited May 30 '17 at 12:24

answered Mar 26 '13 at 15:27

Aaron Digulla

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The combination of @Ignore and abstract is excellet! – derekv Mar 27 '14 at 16:42
3

You do not need `@Ignore`. Abstract is enough (and best in my opinion) – techfly May 12 '17 at 10:55
4

With JUnit 4, `abstract` should be enough. – Aaron Digulla May 30 '17 at 12:22
Way to go! With `@Ignore` and without `abstract`, I had unwanted skipped tests in my final report when building from command line with `mvn package`. – PJ_Finnegan Feb 28 '23 at 16:12

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 10 '20 at 09:59

JUnit5

@Ignore not exit in the future version, If you are using JUnit5, you can use @Disabled from JUnit Jupiter

import org.junit.jupiter.api.Disabled;

You can even use @Disabled with a comment @Disabled("some comment here")

Class

Annotate the class, will disable all the tests in the class :

@Disabled
public class DemoTest { }

@Disabled("some comment here")
public class DemoTest { }

Method

@Disabled
public void whenCaseThenResult() { }

@Disabled("some comment here")
public void whenCaseThenResult() { }

You are doing great, too. As always, too! – GhostCat Jan 17 '20 at 08:07 — GhostCat, Jan 17 '20 at 08:07

score 11 · Answer 5 · edited Feb 25 '20 at 11:20

11

There are three options:

In JUnit 4 or 5 its enough to make the base class abstract. If you use @Igonre attribute it will show it as an ignored test (and will add it to the total count of tests).
You can use the @Ignore annotation. This annotation also works for classes. The @Ignore test annotation is used to ignore particular tests or groups of tests in order to skip the build failure.
```
@Ignore("Base class not yet ready") 
class MyBaseClassTestCases {...}
```
You can change the name of the test class that it will not have the word Test (case sensitive) at the start or the end of the test name/or the word TestCase at the end.

edited Feb 25 '20 at 11:20

Yuri

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answered Dec 26 '17 at 14:14

Tal Avissar

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Most relevant answer IMO. – coffman21 Sep 27 '19 at 11:26
abstract is definitively the way to go for a base test class – user1075613 Feb 21 '20 at 23:49

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 18 '22 at 20:13

1

Adding an empty test works.

@Test(expected = Test.None.class)
public void ATest() {}

Beware, adding it without (expected = Test.None.class) will add an "Add at least one assertion" sonar issue.

answered Feb 18 '22 at 20:13

Dominik Kolesár

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How to get Junit 4 to ignore a Base Test Class?

6 Answers6

JUnit5

Class

Method

Linked