How to unit test a particular file node.js using jasmine framework

Question

I have a very simple question. How do I unit test a node.js class/function at a different directory location from my root specs folder?

What I mean here is, say I have a specs folder located at root of my project

/specs/test-spec.js

Here I have a unit test written in jasmine to a helloWorld.js class located in

/service/benefits/programs/california/helloWorld.js

Contents of helloWorld.js

var helloWorld = function(){
    return 'hello world';
};

Here is my node-jasmine unit test

helloWorld-spec.js :

describe("Hello World", function() { 

    it("should return string hello world", function() {
        expect(helloWorld()).toEqual('hello world');
    }); 

});

The unit test won't pass because it cannot see helloWorld.js, how can I make it see helloWorld.js

Like should I add something like this:

var helloWorld = require(../../../../helloWorld.js);

I don't even understand what those dots represent? How can I make this work? Anybody? Please help.

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 29 '14 at 03:49

Your path is most likely wrong. The dots represent a path relative to the current path, every ../ takes it up one level in the folder structure.

Say your 2 folder structures are like this:

/root/specs/test-spec.js
/root/service/benefits/programs/california/helloWorld.js

if you want to access helloWorld.js in test-spec.js: the reason you would use the ../ first is to go up one level, in this case from specs folder into root folder

the result would be: var helloWorld = require(../service/benefits/programs/california/helloWorld.js);

however if you were trying to get to test-spec.js from helloWorld.js you would need to traverse back through the folder structure to the root level which is again where the ../ comes in, as we need to go back into california, programs, benefits , service to get to root level:

var helloWorld = require(../../../../specs/test-spec.js);

This method is called relative paths, where the path is relative to where you are in the folder structure.Alternatively you can use the '/' character to indicate that you want to start at root level if you know your folder is always at root level:

var helloWorld = require(/specs/test-spec.js)

Hope this clears it up and that I understood your question correctly ;)

How to unit test a particular file node.js using jasmine framework

1 Answers1