Make test assertions specific and verifiable rather than relying on generic metrics or counts. Use explicit checks for expected behaviors and implement proper error handling to ensure tests fail fast when something goes wrong.
Instead of asserting on generic counts like “2 total actions”, verify that specific actions were executed by using detailed logging and targeted assertions:
# Poor: Generic assertion
expect_log "2 total actions"
# Better: Specific assertion
bazel build --experimental_ui_debug_all_events //pkg:a
expect_log "Executing genrule //pkg:a"
Additionally, use proper error handling mechanisms like set -e in shell tests to ensure failures are caught immediately:
#!/bin/sh
set -e # Fail fast on any error
touch "$TEST_TMPDIR/test_file" # Will properly fail if directory not writable
This approach makes tests more reliable, easier to debug when they fail, and provides clearer feedback about what specifically went wrong during test execution.
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