In complex systems and critical APIs, testing is more than just verifying code — it's about ensuring business rules remain intact as the system evolves. And in the .NET ecosystem, we have powerful tools to make that happen.
When working with .NET 8, I follow an approach that combines clarity, performance, and real value for the product team:
Unit Testing (xUnit + Moq or NSubstitute)
- Focused on pure business logic, especially in domain classes and validations.
- No external dependencies: fast, isolated, and deterministic.
- I use FluentAssertions for more readable and expressive assertions.
Integration Testing (Testcontainers + real database)
- I spin up real databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, SQL Server) using disposable containers during tests.
- This covers repository logic, migrations, and actual infrastructure config.
- It prevents false positives caused by over-mocking.
Contract Testing (Pact)
- Ensures that microservices communicate with the same expectations, even when deployed independently.
- The consumer generates a contract; the provider validates it — CI enforces consistency.
- Reduces the “it worked on my machine” syndrome across teams.
Additional practices that matter:
- Realistic test data with Bogus or AutoFixture
- Coverage reports with Coverlet integrated into CI
- Parallel test execution with xUnit for faster feedback
- Validation on PRs via GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps pipelines
The result:
- Safer refactoring
- More reliable deployments
- A team that feels confident and focused on delivering value — not fixing bugs
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