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Add async guide #282

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merged 14 commits into from
Dec 26, 2017
98 changes: 98 additions & 0 deletions docs/en/guides/testing-async-components.md
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# Testing Asynchronous Behavior

To simplify testing, `vue-test-utils` applies updates _synchronously_. However, there are some techniques you need to be aware of when testing a component with asynchronous behavior such as callbacks or promises.
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applies updates synchronously

to

applies DOM updates synchronously


One of the most common asynchronous behaviors is API calls and Vuex actions. The following examples shows how to test a method that makes an API call. This example uses Jest to run the test and to mock the HTTP library `axios`. More about Jest manual mocks can be found [here](https://facebook.github.io/jest/docs/en/manual-mocks.html#content).

The implementation of the `axios` mock looks like this:

``` js
export default {
get: () => new Promise(resolve => {
resolve({ data: 'value' })
})
}
```

The below component makes an API call when a button is clicked, then assigns the response to `value`.

``` js
<template>
<button @click="fetchResults" />
</template>

<script>
import axios from 'axios'
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Could you add a line break after the import statement


export default {
data () {
return {
value: null
}
},

methods: {
async fetchResults () {
const response = await axios.get('mock/service')
this.value = response.data
}
}
}
</script>
```

A test can be written like this:
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Can you add a link to the Jest manual mocks page—https://facebook.github.io/jest/docs/en/manual-mocks.html#content


``` js
import { shallow } from 'vue-test-utils'
import Foo from './Foo'
jest.mock('axios')

test('Foo', () => {
it('fetches async when a button is clicked', () => {
const wrapper = shallow(Foo)
wrapper.find('button').trigger('click')
expect(wrapper.vm.value).toEqual('value')
})
})
```

This test currently fails because the assertion is called before the promise in `fetchResults` resolves. Most unit test libraries provide a callback to let the runner know when the test is complete. Jest and Karma both use `done`. We can use `done` in combination with `$nextTick` or `setTimeout` to ensure any promises resolve before the assertion is made.
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Jest and Karma both use

should be

Jest and Mocha both use


``` js
test('Foo', () => {
it('fetches async when a button is clicked', (done) => {
const wrapper = shallow(Foo)
wrapper.find('button').trigger('click')
wrapper.vm.$nextTick(() => {
expect(wrapper.vm.value).toEqual('value')
done()
})
})
})
```

The reason `$nextTick` or `setTimeout` allow the test to pass is because the microtask queue where promise callbacks are processed run efore the task queue, where `$nextTick` and `setTimeout` are processed. This means by the time the `$nexTick` and `setTimeout` run, any promise callbacks on the microtask queue will have been executed. See [here](https://jakearchibald.com/2015/tasks-microtasks-queues-and-schedules/) for a more detailed explanation.
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small typo — efore


Another solution is to use the npm package, `flush-promises`, which can be used to flush all pending resolved promise handlers, and prepend the test with the ES7 'async' keyword. The ES7 `await` keyword with `flushPromises` can now be used to immediately resolve the API call.
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Can we reword this:

Another solution is to use the npm package, flush-promises, which can be used to flush all pending resolved promise handlers, and prepend the test with the ES7 'async' keyword. The ES7 await keyword with flushPromises can now be used to immediately resolve the API call.

To something like this:

Another solution is to use an async function and the npm package flush-promises. flush-promises flushes all pending resolved promise handlers. You can await the call of flushPromises to flush the promises and improve the readability of your test.


The updated test looks like this:

``` js
import { shallow } from 'vue-test-utils'
import flushPromises from 'flush-promises'
import Foo from './Foo'
jest.mock('axios')

test('Foo', () => {
it('fetches async when a button is clicked', async () => {
const wrapper = shallow(Foo)
wrapper.find('button').trigger('click')
await flushPromises()
expect(wrapper.vm.value).toEqual('value')
})
})
```

This same technique can be applied to Vuex actions, which return a promise by default.