Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Mocha vs SinonJS: What are the differences?
Mocha is a JavaScript testing framework that runs on Node.js, while SinonJS is a standalone JavaScript test spy, stub, and mocking library. The key differences between Mocha and SinonJS are as follows:
Testing Framework vs. Test Spy Library: Mocha is a testing framework that provides a set of utilities and APIs for writing and running tests, whereas SinonJS is a library specifically focused on providing test spies, stubs, and mocks.
Test Runner vs. Test Double Support: Mocha acts as a test runner and provides various features like test structure, test execution, reporting, and assertion libraries integration, while SinonJS focuses on providing support for test doubles such as spies, stubs, and mocks.
Test Lifecycle vs. Function Spying: Mocha has built-in support for test lifecycle hooks like
before
,after
,beforeEach
, andafterEach
, which allow pre and post-test actions, while SinonJS offers powerful function spying capabilities, allowing you to verify how functions are being used.Assertion Libraries Integration vs. Stubbing and Mocking: Mocha allows integration with multiple assertion libraries like Chai or Node.js's built-in
assert
module, providing a wide range of assertion styles and functionalities, whereas SinonJS focuses more on providing robust stubbing and mocking capabilities for controlling the behavior of functions in tests.Test Runner Configuration vs. Isolation Testing: Mocha allows configuration of the test runner, including settings like timeouts, reporter selection, filter patterns, and more, while SinonJS focuses on enabling isolated testing by providing test doubles that help isolate the code under test from its external dependencies.
Flexible Test Suites vs. Standalone Library: Mocha provides flexibility in organizing test suites and tests by using various options like nested describe blocks, hooks, and test skipping, whereas SinonJS is a standalone library that can be used with any testing framework, allowing you to incorporate stubs, spies, and mocks in your tests regardless of the testing framework being used.
In Summary, Mocha is a testing framework with assertions and test runner capabilities, while SinonJS is a standalone library focused on providing test spies, stubs, and mocks for isolation testing.
We use Mocha for our FDA verification testing. It's integrated into Meteor, our upstream web application framework. We like how battle tested it is, its' syntax, its' options of reporters, and countless other features. Most everybody can agree on mocha, and that gets us half-way through our FDA verification and validation (V&V) testing strategy.
Pros of Mocha
- Open source137
- Simple102
- Promise support81
- Flexible48
- Easy to add support for Generators29
- For browser and server testing12
- Curstom assertion libraries7
- Works with Karma5
- No other better tools3
- Simple setup1
- Works with saucelabs1
- Lots of tutorials and help online1
- Default reporter is nice, clean, and itemized1
- Works with BrowserStack1
- Simple integration testing1
Pros of SinonJS
- Open source1
Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions
Cons of Mocha
- Cannot test a promisified functions without assertion3
- No assertion count in results2
- Not as many reporter options as Jest1
Cons of SinonJS
- More concepts than Jest1
- Less questions and answers on StackOverflow than Jest1