Published on

October 25, 2006

Automating Unit Testing in SQL Server with Visual Studio Team Edition

Unit testing is an essential part of software development, and it is equally important for database development. In the past, automating unit testing for stored procedures in SQL Server databases required third-party tools like TSQLUnit and CodeSmith. However, Microsoft has now introduced a powerful built-in unit testing feature in Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Developers.

The unit testing feature in Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Developers is specifically designed to support Agile development methodologies. It follows the principles of test-driven development, where tests are written before the actual code. This approach ensures that the code meets the expected requirements and reduces the chances of introducing bugs.

To create a unit test for a stored procedure, you can use the wizard provided in Visual Studio Team Edition. Simply right-click on the stored procedure in the Schema view of the database and select “Create Unit Tests…”. The wizard will generate the necessary TSQL code to test the procedure, including the declaration of parameters and the expected return value.

Once the test scripts are generated, you can edit them to set the desired parameter values and define test conditions. Visual Studio Team Edition provides various built-in test conditions, such as checking for an empty result set, validating execution time, and comparing scalar values. You can also add custom TSQL assert statements to extend the test conditions.

Tests can be organized into projects, allowing you to divide them into multiple run groups. Each test run can have its own pre- and post-test scripts, enabling you to prepare data or clean up after the tests. The results of the tests are displayed in the Test Results window, indicating whether a test has passed, failed, or is inconclusive.

In addition to running tests within Visual Studio, you can also run them from the command line and integrate them into builds or deployments using MSBuild. This allows you to incorporate database development into the same test-driven development process as the rest of the application.

The unit testing feature in Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Developers offers several advantages. It provides a seamless integration with the development process, allowing developers to have a high degree of certainty that their code won’t be impacted by changes to stored procedures. It also promotes collaboration between database developers and application developers, ensuring that the database and application work together seamlessly.

Implementing unit testing in SQL Server databases may require a shift in the development process, but the benefits are worth it. With automated unit testing, you can catch bugs early, ensure code quality, and improve the overall reliability of your database applications.

Microsoft’s Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Developers is a powerful tool that brings unit testing capabilities directly into the database development environment. By embracing this tool and incorporating unit testing into your development process, you can take your SQL Server database development to the next level.

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