How do you manage test data and fixtures? | LetsGit.IT

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How do you manage test data and fixtures?

Tags

#fixtures#factories#data

Back to category Practice quiz

Answer

Use small, readable fixtures or factories, reset state between tests, and keep data close to the test intent. For integration tests, seed minimal data and clean up reliably.

Advanced answer

Deep dive

Good test data is minimal and purposeful:

Factories reduce duplication and improve clarity.
Snapshots or golden files should be reviewed and small.
Isolation: clean DB or use transactions per test.
Avoid brittle global fixtures shared by many tests.

Examples

Factory approach:

user = makeUser({ role: 'admin' })
order = makeOrder({ userId: user.id })

Common pitfalls

Giant fixtures that hide intent.
Sharing mutable fixtures across tests.
Not cleaning up, causing order dependency.

Interview follow-ups

When do you use factories vs fixtures?
How do you seed data for E2E reliably?
How do you keep fixtures in sync with schema changes?