terraform-vsphere-resourcegroups/.github/TESTING_QUICK_START.md

Terraform Testing Quick Start

Quick Commands

# Run all tests
terraform test

# Run tests with verbose output
terraform test -verbose

# Check formatting
terraform fmt -check -recursive

# Auto-format all files
terraform fmt -recursive

# Validate configuration
terraform validate

Pre-Commit Checklist

Before committing changes, ensure:

• Code is formatted: terraform fmt -recursive
• Configuration is valid: terraform validate
• All tests pass: terraform test
• No sensitive data is hardcoded

Test File Locations

• tests/resource_groups.tftest.hcl - Default resource group tests
• tests/custom_configuration.tftest.hcl - Custom configuration tests
• tests/variable_validation.tftest.hcl - Variable validation tests

Common Test Scenarios

Adding a New Test

1. Choose the appropriate test file based on what you're testing
2. Add a new run block with a descriptive name
3. Use command = plan for most tests
4. Add assertions with clear error messages
5. Run the specific test to verify it works

Example:

run "my_new_test" {
  command = plan

  variables {
    resource_groups = {
      test = { name = "Test" }
    }
  }

  assert {
    condition     = <your_condition>
    error_message = "Clear description of what failed"
  }
}

Testing a Specific Feature

# Run specific test file
terraform test -filter=tests/custom_configuration.tftest.hcl

# Run with verbose output for debugging
terraform test -verbose -filter=tests/variable_validation.tftest.hcl

CI/CD Pipeline

Tests run automatically on:

• Every push to master
• Every pull request

Pipeline order:

1. TFLint
2. Tfsec
3. Checkov
4. Terraform Test ⬅ Your tests
5. SonarQube
6. Terraform Init/Plan/Apply

Troubleshooting

Test Fails Locally But Not in CI

• Check Terraform version: terraform version (need >= 1.6.0)
• Ensure environment variables are not interfering
• Check for local terraform.tfvars overriding test values

Test Fails in CI But Not Locally

• Review CI job output for environment-specific issues
• Verify mock credentials are properly set in CI
• Check for provider version mismatches

Format Check Fails

# Fix automatically
terraform fmt -recursive

# Verify
terraform fmt -check -recursive

Best Practices

1. Write tests for new features: Every new feature should have corresponding tests
2. Test edge cases: Include tests for empty values, minimum/maximum values, etc.
3. Use descriptive names: Test names should clearly indicate what they test
4. Clear error messages: Help future developers understand failures quickly
5. Keep tests focused: One test should verify one specific behavior

Need Help?

• Full documentation: TESTING.md
• Terraform test docs: https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/tests
• Module README: README.md