Django testing strategies with pytest-django, TDD methodology, factory_boy, mocking, coverage, and testing Django REST Framework APIs. Use when writing Django or DRF tests with pytest-django, or driving a Django feature test-first.

Django Testing with TDD Test driven development for Django applications using pytest, factory boy, and Django REST Framework. When to Activate Writing new Django applications Implementing Django REST Framework APIs Testing Django models, views, and serializers Setting up testing infrastructure for Django projects TDD Workflow for Django Red Green Refactor Cycle Setup pytest Configuration Test Settings conftest.py Factory Boy Factory Setup Using Factories Model Testing Model Tests View Testing Django View Testing DRF API Testing Serializer Testing API ViewSet Testing Mocking and Patching Mocking External Services Mocking Email Sending Integration Testing Full Flow Testing Testing Best Practices DO Use factories : Instead of manual object creation One assertion per test : Keep tests focused Descriptive test names : test user cannot delete others post Test edge cases : Empty inputs, None values, boundary conditions Mock external services : Don't depend on external APIs Use fixtures : Eliminate duplication Test permissions : Ensure authorization works Keep tests fast : Use reuse db and nomigrations DON'T Don't test Django internals : Trust Django to work Don't test third party code : Trust libraries to work Don't ignore failing tests : All tests must pass Don't make tests dependent : Tests should run in any order Don't over mock : Mock only external dependencies Don't test private methods : Test public interface Don't use production database : Always use test database Coverage Coverage Configuration Coverage Goals Component Target Coverage Models 90%+ Serializers 85%+ Views 80%+ Services 90%+ Utilities 80%+ Overall 80%+ Quick Reference Pattern Usage @pytest.mark.django db Enable database access client Django test client api client DRF API client factory.create batch(n) Create multiple objects patch('module.function') Mock external dependencies override settings Temporarily change settings force authenticate() Bypass authentication in tests assertRedirects Check for redirects assertTemplateUsed Verify template usage mail.outbox Check sent emails Remember: Tests are documentation. Good tests explain how your code should work. Keep them simple, readable, and maintainable.

django-tdd