---
id: LambdaTest/agent-skills/phpunit-skill
version: "8274321d"
license: MIT
install: manual
updated: 2026-07-24
---

# phpunit-skill — phpunit-skill streamlines the creation of PHPUnit test suites by automating test case generation, assertion setup, and lifecycle method configuration. Designed for developers building robust PHP testing workflows, this skill reduces boilerplate code and accelerates test-driven development cycles.

Publisher: LambdaTest · Stars: 339 · Updated: 2026-07-24

Install (manual): `git clone https://github.com/LambdaTest/agent-skills`

## SKILL.md

# PHPUnit Testing Skill

## Core Patterns

### Basic Test

```php
<?php
use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class CalculatorTest extends TestCase
{
    private Calculator $calculator;

    protected function setUp(): void
    {
        $this->calculator = new Calculator();
    }

    public function testAddition(): void
    {
        $this->assertEquals(5, $this->calculator->add(2, 3));
    }

    public function testDivideByZero(): void
    {
        $this->expectException(\DivisionByZeroError::class);
        $this->calculator->divide(10, 0);
    }

    public function testMultipleAssertions(): void
    {
        $this->assertSame(4, $this->calculator->add(2, 2));
        $this->assertSame(0, $this->calculator->subtract(2, 2));
        $this->assertSame(6, $this->calculator->multiply(2, 3));
    }
}
```

### Data Providers

```php
/**
 * @dataProvider additionProvider
 */
public function testAdd(int $a, int $b, int $expected): void
{
    $this->assertEquals($expected, $this->calculator->add($a, $b));
}

public static function additionProvider(): array
{
    return [
        'positive numbers' => [2, 3, 5],
        'negative numbers' => [-1, -1, -2],
        'zeros'            => [0, 0, 0],
        'mixed'            => [10, -5, 5],
    ];
}
```

### Assertions

```php
$this->assertEquals($expected, $actual);
$this->assertSame($expected, $actual);          // Strict type
$this->assertNotEquals($unexpected, $actual);
$this->assertTrue($condition);
$this->assertFalse($condition);
$this->assertNull($value);
$this->assertNotNull($value);
$this->assertCount(3, $array);
$this->assertContains('item', $array);
$this->assertArrayHasKey('key', $array);
$this->assertInstanceOf(MyClass::class, $obj);
$this->assertStringContainsString('sub', $string);
$this->assertMatchesRegularExpression('/\d+/', $string);
$this->assertEmpty($collection);
$this->assertGreaterThan(5, $value);
$this->assertJsonStringEqualsJsonString($expected, $actual);
```

### Mocking

```php
public function testCreateUser(): void
{
    $mockRepo = $this->createMock(UserRepository::class);
    $mockRepo->expects($this->once())
        ->method('save')
        ->with($this->isInstanceOf(User::class))
        ->willReturn(new User(1, 'Alice'));

    $mockEmail = $this->createMock(EmailService::class);
    $mockEmail->expects($this->once())
        ->method('sendWelcome')
        ->with('alice@test.com');

    $service = new UserService($mockRepo, $mockEmail);
    $result = $service->createUser('alice@test.com', 'Alice');

    $this->assertEquals(1, $result->getId());
}
```

### Lifecycle

```php
public static function setUpBeforeClass(): void { }   // Once before all
protected function setUp(): void { }                    // Before each test
protected function tearDown(): void { }                 // After each test
public static function tearDownAfterClass(): void { }  // Once after all
```

### Anti-Patterns

| Bad | Good | Why |
|-----|------|-----|
| `assertEquals` for strict | `assertSame` for type+value | Type coercion |
| No data providers | `@dataProvider` | DRY |
| Global state | `setUp()`/`tearDown()` | Isolation |
| No groups | `@group smoke` | Run subsets |

## Setup: `composer require --dev phpunit/phpunit`
## Run: `./vendor/bin/phpunit` or `./vendor/bin/phpunit --group smoke`
## Config: `phpunit.xml` with testsuites and coverage

## Deep Patterns

See `reference/playbook.md` for production-grade patterns:

| Section | What You Get |
|---------|-------------|
| §1 Project Setup | composer.json, phpunit.xml with suites, coverage config, project structure |
| §2 Test Patterns | Assertions, #[DataProvider], Generator yields, strict comparisons |
| §3 Mocking | createMock with callbacks, Mockery spies, consecutive returns |
| §4 Test Doubles | In-memory fakes, repository pattern, test helpers |
| §5 Faker & Fixtures | TestDataFactory with overrides, bulk generation |
| §6 Exception Testing | Detailed exception assertions, warning testing |
| §7 HTTP & API Testing | Symfony WebTestCase, auth, validation, pagination |
| §8 Database Testing | Transaction rollback, repository integration, Doctrine |
| §9 CI/CD Integration | GitHub Actions with MySQL/Redis, coverage thresholds |
| §10 Debugging Table | 12 common problems with causes and fixes |
| §11 Best Practices | 14-item production PHP testing checklist |


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