Database Testing Strategies#

Database tests are the tests most teams get wrong. They either skip them entirely (testing with mocks, then discovering schema mismatches in production), or they build a fragile suite sharing a single database where tests interfere with each other. The right approach depends on what you are testing and what tradeoffs you can accept.

Fixtures vs Factories#

Fixtures#

Fixtures are static SQL files loaded before a test suite runs:

Testing Strategy Selection#

Choosing the right mix of tests determines whether your test suite catches real bugs or just consumes CI minutes. There is no single correct answer – the right strategy depends on your system architecture, team size, deployment cadence, and the cost of production failures.

The Testing Pyramid#

The classic testing pyramid, introduced by Mike Cohn, prescribes many unit tests at the base, fewer integration tests in the middle, and a small number of end-to-end tests at the top.