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Test Data Management Analyzer ​

Analyzer IDCategorySeverityTime To Fix
test-data-management💻 Code QualityLow15 minutes

What This Checks ​

Validates that test files follow proper data management practices. Works with PHPUnit, Pest PHP, and PHPUnit 10 attributes. Checks for:

  • Hardcoded model creation instead of using factories (requires 2 or more hardcoded string field values)
  • Missing database cleanup traits (RefreshDatabase, DatabaseMigrations, DatabaseTransactions)
  • Raw SQL used in test files for data setup (DB::insert(), DB::statement(), DB::unprepared(), DB::table()->insert())
  • Large factory sequences (count > 50) that may slow tests - both ->count(N) and Model::factory(N) syntax
  • Seeder usage in tests via $this->seed() or Artisan::call('db:seed')

Framework Support

FrameworkDetection Method
PHPUnit (class-based)extends TestCase, function test_ prefix
PHPUnit 10+#[Test] attribute
Pest PHPit(), test(), describe() functions

The analyzer also checks tests/TestCase.php and tests/Pest.php for globally applied database traits, so individual test files don't need to redeclare them.

Why It Matters ​

  • Test Isolation: Without proper cleanup, tests can affect each other through shared database state
  • Maintainability: Hardcoded test data is fragile and must be updated when schemas change
  • Performance: Large factory sequences slow down test suites unnecessarily
  • Reliability: Seeder-dependent tests break when seeders change

How to Fix ​

Quick Fix (5 minutes) ​

Use factories instead of hardcoded data:

Before (❌):

php
$user = User::create([
    'name' => 'Test User',
    'email' => 'test@example.com',
    'password' => bcrypt('password'),
]);

After (✅):

php
$user = User::factory()->create();

Proper Fix (15 minutes) ​

1. Add database cleanup trait:

php
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;

class OrderTest extends TestCase
{
    use RefreshDatabase; // Rolls back and re-migrates after each test

    public function test_order_can_be_placed(): void
    {
        $user = User::factory()->create();
        $product = Product::factory()->create(['price' => 1999]);

        // Test logic...
    }
}
php
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\DatabaseTransactions;

class OrderTest extends TestCase
{
    use DatabaseTransactions; // Wraps each test in a transaction and rolls back

    public function test_order_can_be_placed(): void
    {
        $user = User::factory()->create();
        $product = Product::factory()->create(['price' => 1999]);

        // Test logic...
    }
}
php
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\DatabaseMigrations;

class OrderTest extends TestCase
{
    use DatabaseMigrations; // Runs fresh migrations before each test

    public function test_order_can_be_placed(): void
    {
        $user = User::factory()->create();
        $product = Product::factory()->create(['price' => 1999]);

        // Test logic...
    }
}
php
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;

uses(RefreshDatabase::class);

it('can place an order', function () {
    $user = User::factory()->create();
    $product = Product::factory()->create(['price' => 1999]);

    // Test logic...
});
php
// tests/Pest.php — traditional uses() style
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;

uses(RefreshDatabase::class)->in('Feature');
php
// tests/Pest.php — pest()->extend() fluent style
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
use Tests\TestCase;

pest()->extend(TestCase::class)
    ->use(RefreshDatabase::class)
    ->in('Feature', 'Unit');

2. Replace raw SQL with Eloquent/factories:

Before (❌):

php
DB::insert('INSERT INTO users (name, email) VALUES (?, ?)', ['Test', 'test@test.com']);

After (✅):

php
User::factory()->create(['name' => 'Test', 'email' => 'test@test.com']);

3. Remove seeder dependencies:

Before (❌):

php
public function setUp(): void
{
    parent::setUp();
    $this->seed(RolesSeeder::class);
    // Also flagged: Artisan::call('db:seed', ['--class' => 'RolesSeeder']);
}

After (✅):

php
public function test_admin_can_access_dashboard(): void
{
    $role = Role::factory()->create(['name' => 'admin']);
    $user = User::factory()->create()->assignRole($role);

    // Test logic...
}

ShieldCI Configuration ​

The factory sequence threshold is configurable. To customize it, publish the config:

bash
php artisan vendor:publish --tag=shieldci-config

Then in config/shieldci.php:

php
'analyzers' => [
    'code-quality' => [
        'enabled' => true,
    
        'test-data-management' => [
            'factory_count_threshold' => 50, // Default: flag sequences with count > 50
        ],
    ],
],

When to Change the Threshold

The default of 50 works well for most projects. You may want to increase it if your integration test suite legitimately creates larger datasets (e.g. pagination tests that need > 50 rows). Keep in mind that large factory sequences slow your CI, so consider whether the test truly needs that many records.

References ​

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