Running tests in a Java Maven project

Java continues to be one of the most popular languages for test automation, and Maven continues to be its most popular build tool. Adding tests in the right place to a Java project with Maven can be a bit tricky, however. Let’s briefly learn how to do it. These steps work for both JUnit and TestNG.

Test code location

Maven project follow the Standard Directory Layout. The main code should go under src/main, while all test code should go under src/test:

• src/test/java should hold Java test classes
• src/test/resources should hold resource files that tests use

Your project directory should look something like this:

src/
+-- main/
|   +-- java/
|   \-- resources/
|-- test/
|   +-- java/
|   \-- resources/
\-- pom.xml

Don’t put test code in the main source folder. You don’t want to include it with the final build artifact. The project might have other files as well, like a README.

Unit tests

The Maven Surefire Plugin runs unit tests during Maven’s test phase. To run unit tests:

1. Add maven-surefire-plugin to the plugins section of your pom.xml
2. Name your unit tests *Tests.java
3. Put them under src/test/java
4. Mirror the package structure from the main code always
5. Run tests with mvn test

There are a bunch of options for configuring the Maven Surefire Plugin. If you don’t want to configure anything special, you actually don’t need to add the plugin to the POM file. Nevertheless, it’s good practice to add it to the POM file anyway. Here’s what that would look like:

    
        
            
                org.apache.maven.plugins
                maven-surefire-plugin
                3.2.5
            
        
    

Integration tests

The Maven Failsafe Plugin runs integration tests during Maven’s integration-test phase. Integration tests are distinct from unit tests due to their external dependencies and should be treated differently. To run integration tests:

1. Add maven-failsafe-plugin to the plugins section of your pom.xml
2. Name your unit tests *IT.java
3. Put them under src/test/java
4. Mirror the package structure from the main code as appropriate
5. Run tests with mvn verify

Maven actually has multiple integration test phases: pre-integration-test, integration-test, and post-integration-test to handle appropriate setup, testing, and cleanup. However, none of these phases will cause the build to fail. Instead, use the verify goal to make the build fail when ITs fail.

Like the Maven Surefire Plugin, the Maven Failsafe Plugin has a bunch of options. However, to run integration tests, you must configure the Failsafe plugin in the POM file. Here’s what it looks like:

    
        
            
                org.apache.maven.plugins
                maven-failsafe-plugin
                3.2.5
                
                    
                        
                            integration-test
                            verify
                        
                    
                
            
        
    

Maven phases

Phases in the Maven Build Lifecycle are cumulative:

• Running mvn test includes the compile phase
• Running mvn verify includes the compile and test phases

It is also a good practice to run mvn clean before other phases to delete the build output (target/) directory. That way, old class files and test reports are removed before generating new ones. You may also include clean with commands to run tests, like this: mvn clean test or mvn clean verify.

Customizations

You can customize how tests run. For example, you can create a separate directory for integration tests (like src/it instead of src/test). However, I recommend avoiding customizations like this. They require complicated settings in the POM file that are difficult to get right and confusing to maintain. Others who join the project later will expect Maven standards.