phpunit: Can't pass a parameter with @dataProvider + @depends

I’m expecting the below code returns no failure. But on testDataReceiver(), $a will be null unexpectedly. I’m not sure if it’s a bug. Can anyone test this code or correct my code? Thanks.

PHPUnit 3.5.11, PHP 5.3.3

<?php

class DataProviderTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
    const TEST_NUM = 7;
    /**
     *  @dataProvider provider
     */
    public function testDataProvider($a)
    {
        $this->assertTrue($a === self::TEST_NUM);
        return $a;
    }
    /**
     *  @depends testDataProvider
     */
    public function testDataReceiver($a)
    {
        // somehow $a will be null
        $this->assertTrue($a === self::TEST_NUM);
    }
    public function provider()
    {
        return array(array(self::TEST_NUM));
    }
}

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 13 years ago
Comments: 15 (2 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

I understand the explanation given by @elblinkin which explains why @nobuf expected behaviour is different from the real phpunit behaviour. But from my point of view, @depends should understand that testDataProvider will be “cloned” and run multiple times so testDataReceiver should be run also multiple times: each time testDataProvider is run with a given dataset, then testDataReceiver should be run with the testDataProvider returned data as input.

+17

sylfabre on Aug 6, 2014

This issue shall not be closed. Stills being an issue on @depends which provides no return data to dependent tests. I’m facing how could I get the return of a test as the input for the dependent, but If I use a @dataProvider on the first test, its dependent just receives NULL as input.

temple on Nov 24, 2018

10 years later but this is still not resolved. Seems there is no workaround so I have to remove the dataProvider and put the data in a variable in the test function like a peasant 😦

natsu90 on Mar 29, 2022

Can we re-open this issue? Seem like a legitimate use case

waleoyediran on May 15, 2018

The @dataProvider annotations get computed before test execution. Basically, the pre-test phase creates a test method for every set of parameters provided by the data provider. The @depends is dependent upon what is essentially the prototype of the data driven test, so in a way the @depends is on a non-existent (not executed test).

Another way to think of it, is that if provider was supplying more than one set of parameters. PHPUnit would make that many testDataProvider methods but there would not be that many testDataReceiver methods because there is not an @dataProvider method on that test method for the pre-test phase.

You can however had @depends and @dataProvider on the same test method. Just be careful to get the parameter order right, although in this case there may not be a first parameter.

elblinkin on Feb 27, 2011

Maybe someone needs a solution (dirty solution):

 private static $dependsResultList = [];
 
 /**
 * @dataProvider someDataList
 * @param any $data
 */
public function testCreate($data): void
{
    $createData = .....
    static::$dependsResultList[md5(serialize($data))] = $createData;
}

/**
 * @dataProvider contragentDataList
 * @depends testCreate
 */
public function testEdit($data): void
{
    $createdData = static::$dependsResultList[md5(serialize($data))];
    ....
}

AndreyChursin on Jul 18, 2022

This issue shall not be closed. Stills being an issue on @depends which provides no return data to dependent tests. I’m facing how could I get the return of a test as the input for the dependent, but If I use a @dataProvider on the first test, its dependent just receives NULL as input.

@temple - that is correct and I wonder there is no concrete solution for this yet.

Ravim-addweb on Jan 31, 2019