ADR-006: Real Objects and Sample Data for Tests

Status: Accepted Date: 2026-02-18

Context

Testing strategy decision: use unittest.mock or real objects with actual sample data.

Decision

Never use unittest.mock. All tests use real objects, fixtures, and sample data files.

Rationale

• Real sample files (RVTools, LiveOptics) catch actual parsing issues
• Mocks can hide bugs by simulating ideal behavior
• Sample data represents real customer environments
• Tests validate the full code path, not just interfaces

Consequences

• Tests are slower (reading real xlsx files)
• Tests depend on sample files being present
• Cannot test in isolation from dependencies
• Higher confidence that code works with real-world data