# Code Smell 30 - Mocking Business

*Mocking is a great aid when testing behavior. Like with many other tools, we are abusing them.*

# Problems

- Complexity

- False sense of security.

- Parallel/Paired objects (Real and Mocks)

- Maintainability

# Solutions

1. [Mock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock_object) just non-business entities.

2. Remove mock if its interface has too much behavior.
 
# Sample Code

## Wrong

%[https://gist.github.com/mcsee/191cee3a71132501564cdb58abef27a7]

## Right

%[https://gist.github.com/mcsee/1a84f6cf33594a0b63f5171a13513439]

# Detection

This is an architectural pattern. It will not be easy to create an automatic detection rule.

# Exceptions

- Mocking accidental problems (serialization, databases, APIs) is a very good habit to avoid coupling.

# Tags

- Abuser 

# Conclusion

Mocks, like many other test doubles, are magnificent tools. Choosing judiciously when to use them is an art.

Imagine a play in which each actor, instead of rehearsing with other actors, had to interact with 25 scriptwriters. The actors would never rehearse together. How would the result of the play be?

# Also Known as

- Faker

# Relations

%[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-76-generic-assertions]

# More info

%[https://medium.com/javascript-scene/mocking-is-a-code-smell-944a70c90a6a]

%[https://martinfowler.com/articles/mocksArentStubs.html]

# Credits

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@syedabsarahmad">Syed Ahmad</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/monkey">Unsplash</a>

* * *

> The pesticide paradox. Every method you use to prevent or find bugs leaves a residue of subtler bugs against which those methods are ineffective.

_Boris Beizer_

%[https://mcsee.hashnode.dev/software-engineering-great-quotes]

* * *

This article is part of the CodeSmell Series.

%[https://mcsee.hashnode.dev/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code]