Golden Test in Flutter is a testing methodology that focuses on ensuring the visual appearance of your Flutter app. Unlike traditional tests that verify code logic, golden tests capture snapshots of your app's UI and compare them to reference images (golden files). This helps not only in confirming correct functionality but also in maintaining the desired visual aesthetics.
Flutter caches UI images, later comparing pixel by pixel for testing. This involves creating golden files, which act as visual reference points. These files are compared to newly rendered UI elements, ensuring that any changes do not unintentionally alter the app's visual output.
To create golden files in Flutter, follow these steps:
- Generate images for all Golden tests or update existing ones:
flutter test --update-goldens
- Look for the generated
counter.png
file in your project's test folder and add it to version control.
Check the golden_widget_test.dart
file inside the test
folder for an example implementation of a golden test. This file uses the testWidgets
function for widget testing and compares the rendered appearance of a widget with a pre-existing golden image.
To run golden tests:
flutter test
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- Storage: Golden tests continuously generate image files, so consider storage challenges. Storing them in a Git repository is an option but may not be ideal for projects with numerous tests.
- False Positives: Minor pixel differences may trigger failures, so be cautious of potential false positives.
- Component-Level Testing: Golden tests are more effective for verifying components than entire screens. Focus on component-level testing for optimal reliability.
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Note: Golden Test in Flutter is a valuable tool for detecting regressions and rendering issues. Carefully consider storage and potential false positives, and focus on component-level testing for optimal reliability.