How to mock Python static methods and class methods

Question

How do I mock a class that has unbound methods? For example, this class has a @classmethod and a @staticmethod:

class Calculator(object):
    def __init__(self, multiplier):
        self._multiplier = multiplier
    def multiply(self, n):
        return self._multiplier * n
    @classmethod
    def increment(cls, n):
        return n + 1
    @staticmethod
    def decrement(n):
        return n - 1

calculator = Calculator(2)
assert calculator.multiply(3) == 6    
assert calculator.increment(3) == 4
assert calculator.decrement(3) == 2
assert Calculator.increment(3) == 4
assert Calculator.decrement(3) == 2

The above pretty much describes my question. The following is a working example that demonstrates the things I have tried.

Class Machine contains an instance of Calculator. I will be testing Machine with a mock of Calculator. To demonstrate my issue, Machine calls the unbound methods via an instance of Calculator and via the Calculator class:

class Machine(object):
    def __init__(self, calculator):
        self._calculator = calculator
    def mult(self, n):
        return self._calculator.multiply(n)
    def incr_bound(self, n):
        return self._calculator.increment(n)
    def decr_bound(self, n):
        return self._calculator.decrement(n)
    def incr_unbound(self, n):
        return Calculator.increment(n)
    def decr_unbound(self, n):
        return Calculator.decrement(n)

machine = Machine(Calculator(3))
assert machine.mult(3) == 9

assert machine.incr_bound(3) == 4
assert machine.incr_unbound(3) == 4

assert machine.decr_bound(3) == 2
assert machine.decr_unbound(3) == 2

All the functional code above works fine. Next is the part that does not work.

I create a mock of Calculator to use in testing Machine:

from mock import Mock

def MockCalculator(multiplier):
    mock = Mock(spec=Calculator, name='MockCalculator')

    def multiply_proxy(n):
        '''Multiply by 2*multiplier instead so we can see the difference'''
        return 2 * multiplier * n
    mock.multiply = multiply_proxy

    def increment_proxy(n):
        '''Increment by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference'''
        return n + 2
    mock.increment = increment_proxy

    def decrement_proxy(n):
        '''Decrement by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference'''
        return n - 2
    mock.decrement = decrement_proxy

    return mock

In the unit test below, the bound methods use MockCalculator as I had hoped. However, the calls to Calculator.increment() and Calculator.decrement() still use Calculator:

import unittest

class TestMachine(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_bound(self):
        '''The bound methods of Calculator are replaced with MockCalculator'''
        machine = Machine(MockCalculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.mult(3), 18)
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr_bound(3), 5)
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr_bound(3), 1)

    def test_unbound(self):
        '''Machine.incr_unbound() and Machine.decr_unbound() are still using
        Calculator.increment() and Calculator.decrement(n), which is wrong.
        '''
        machine = Machine(MockCalculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr_unbound(3), 4)    # I wish this was 5
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr_unbound(3), 2)    # I wish this was 1

So I try to patch Calculator.increment() and Calculator.decrement():

def MockCalculatorImproved(multiplier):
    mock = Mock(spec=Calculator, name='MockCalculatorImproved')

    def multiply_proxy(n):
        '''Multiply by 2*multiplier instead of multiplier so we can see the difference'''
        return 2 * multiplier * n
    mock.multiply = multiply_proxy
    return mock

def increment_proxy(n):
    '''Increment by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference'''
    return n + 2

def decrement_proxy(n):
    '''Decrement by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference'''
    return n - 2


from mock import patch

@patch.object(Calculator, 'increment', increment_proxy)
@patch.object(Calculator, 'decrement', decrement_proxy)
class TestMachineImproved(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_bound(self):
        '''The bound methods of Calculator are replaced with MockCalculator'''
        machine = Machine(MockCalculatorImproved(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.mult(3), 18)
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr_bound(3), 5)
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr_bound(3), 1)

    def test_unbound(self):
        '''machine.incr_unbound() and Machine.decr_unbound() should use
        increment_proxy() and decrement_proxy(n).
        '''
        machine = Machine(MockCalculatorImproved(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr_unbound(3), 5)
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr_unbound(3), 1)

Even after patching, the unbound methods want an instance of Calculator as an argument:

TypeError: unbound method increment_proxy() must be called with Calculator instance as first argument (got int instance instead)

How do I mock out class method Calculator.increment() and static method Calculator.decrement()?

Answer 1

I just did something that could be translated to your case like this:

class Calculator_Mock(object):
    def __init__(self, multiplier):
        ... # add whatever you need here

    def multiply(self, n):
        ... # add whatever you need here

    @classmethod
    def increment(self, n):
        ... # add whatever you need here

Then, in your test, something as simple as this:

class TestCalculator(TestCase):

    def test_increment_or_whatever(self):
        with patch.object(Calculator,
                          "increment",
                          return_value=Calculator_Mock.increment()) as increment_mock:
        ... # call whatever your calls Calculator.increment, the mock should run instead the Calculator.increment

Answer 2

One way to do it is

def test_increment(mocker):
    mocker.patch.object(Calculator, attribute='increment', return_value=10)
    ...actual test code...

Answer 3

C#, Java and C++ programmers tend to overuse class and static methods in Python. The Pythonic approach is to use module functions.

So first, here is the refactored software under test, with methods increment() and decrement() as module functions. The interface does change, but the functionality is the same:

# Module machines

class Calculator(object):
    def __init__(self, multiplier):
        self._multiplier = multiplier
    def multiply(self, n):
        return self._multiplier * n

def increment(n):
    return n + 1

def decrement(n):
    return n - 1

calculator = Calculator(2)
assert calculator.multiply(3) == 6
assert increment(3) == 4
assert decrement(3) == 2


class Machine(object):
    '''A larger machine that has a calculator.'''
    def __init__(self, calculator):
        self._calculator = calculator
    def mult(self, n):
        return self._calculator.multiply(n)
    def incr(self, n):
        return increment(n)
    def decr(self, n):
        return decrement(n)

machine = Machine(Calculator(3))
assert machine.mult(3) == 9
assert machine.incr(3) == 4
assert machine.decr(3) == 2

Add functions increment_mock() and decrement_mock() to mock increment() and decrement():

from mock import Mock
import machines

def MockCalculator(multiplier):
    mock = Mock(spec=machines.Calculator, name='MockCalculator')

    def multiply_proxy(n):
        '''Multiply by 2*multiplier instead of multiplier so we can see the
        difference.
        '''
        return 2 * multiplier * n
    mock.multiply = multiply_proxy

    return mock

def increment_mock(n):
    '''Increment by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference.'''
    return n + 2

def decrement_mock(n):
    '''Decrement by 2 instead of 1 so we can see the difference.'''
    return n - 2

And now for the good part. Patch increment() and decrement() to replace them with their mocks:

import unittest
from mock import patch
import machines

@patch('machines.increment', increment_mock)
@patch('machines.decrement', decrement_mock)
class TestMachine(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_mult(self):
        '''The bound method of Calculator is replaced with MockCalculator'''
        machine = machines.Machine(MockCalculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.mult(3), 18)

    def test_incr(self):
        '''increment() is replaced with increment_mock()'''
        machine = machines.Machine(MockCalculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr(3), 5)

    def test_decr(self):
        '''decrement() is replaced with decrement_mock()'''
        machine = machines.Machine(MockCalculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr(3), 1)

Answer 4

You were patching the wrong object. You must patch the Calculator from the Machine class, not the general Calculator class. Read about it here.

from mock import patch
import unittest

from calculator import Calculator
from machine import Machine


class TestMachine(unittest.TestCase):
    def my_mocked_mult(self, multiplier):
        return 2 * multiplier * 3
    def test_bound(self):
        '''The bound methods of Calculator are replaced with MockCalculator'''
        machine = Machine(Calculator(3))
        with patch.object(machine, "mult") as mocked_mult:
            mocked_mult.side_effect = self.my_mocked_mult
            self.assertEqual(machine.mult(3), 18)
            self.assertEqual(machine.incr_bound(3), 5)
            self.assertEqual(machine.decr_bound(3), 1)

    def test_unbound(self):
        '''Machine.incr_unbound() and Machine.decr_unbound() are still using
        Calculator.increment() and Calculator.decrement(n), which is wrong.
        '''
        machine = Machine(Calculator(3))
        self.assertEqual(machine.incr_unbound(3), 4)    # I wish this was 5
        self.assertEqual(machine.decr_unbound(3), 2)    # I wish this was 1