Invoking Custom Code

Sometimes a faked method's desired behavior can't be satisfactorily defined just by specifying return values, throwing exceptions, assigning out and ref parameters or even doing nothing. Maybe you need to simulate some kind of side effect, either for the benefit of the System Under Test or to make writing a test easier (or possible). Let's see what that's like.

A.CallTo(() => fakeShop.SellSmarties())
 .Invokes(() => OrderMoreSmarties()) // simulate Smarties stock falling too low
 .Returns(20);

Now when the System Under Test calls SellSmarties, the Fake will call OrderMoreSmarties.

If the method being configured has a return value, it will continue to return the default value for an unconfigured fake unless you override it with Returns or ReturnsLazily.

There are also more advanced variants that can invoke actions based on arguments supplied to the faked method. These act similarly to how you specify return values that are calculated at call time. For example

// Pass up to 8 original call argument values into the callback method.
A.CallTo(() => fakeShop.NumberOfSweetsSoldOn(A<DateTime>._))
 .Invokes((DateTime when) => System.Console.Out.WriteLine("showing sweet sales for " + when))
 .Returns(17);

// Pass an IFakeObjectCall into the callback for more advanced scenarios,
// including configuring methods that have more than 8 parameters.
A.CallTo(() => fakeShop.NumberOfSweetsSoldOn(A<DateTime>._))
 .Invokes(callObject => System.Console.Out.WriteLine(callObject.FakedObject +
                                                     " is closed on " +
                                                     callObject.Arguments[0]));

Case study - customizing a read/write property

Sometimes customizing a Fake's behavior interferes with the default Fake behavior in undesired ways. For example, changing the setter behavior of a read/write property (perhaps to raise an event) can break how the set and get share values. If the setter's behavior is changed, it's necessary to explicitly retain the connection to the getter:

A.CallToSet(() => fakeShop.OpeningHours).Invokes(TimeRange newTimes) =>
{
    // have the getter return the new times when called
    A.CallTo(() => fakeShop.OpeningHours).Returns(newTimes);

    // custom action - notify listeners of the change
    fakeShop.OpeningHoursChanged += Raise.With(new HoursChangedEvent(newTimes));
}