Timestamps are making my phpunit tests fail - laravel

Question

When I use the following PostResource, and Post Test, my tests succeed:
PostResource.php
public function toArray($request)
{
return [
'id' => $this->id,
'title' => $this->title,
'content' => $this->content,
'slug' => $this->slug,
];
}
PostController.php
public function show(Post $post)
{
return new PostResource($post);
}
ReadPostTest.php
/** #test */
public function a_user_can_read_a_single_post()
{
$post = factory(Post::class)->create([
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
]);
//dd($post);
$response = $this->json('GET', '/posts/' . $post->id)
->assertStatus(200)
->assertJsonFragment([ 'data' => [
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
]]);
}
When I add created_at and updated_at to my tests and resource I get a failure. The test bellow show when I didn't add .000000Z.
phpunit
There was 1 failure:
1) Tests\Feature\ReadPostsTest::a_user_can_read_a_single_post
Unable to find JSON:
[{
"data": {
"title": "A new post",
"content": "Some content",
"slug": "a-new-post",
"created_at": "2018-12-06 21:13:26",
"updated_at": "2018-12-06 21:13:26"
}
}]
within response JSON:
[{
"data": {
"id": 1,
"title": "A new post",
"content": "Some content",
"slug": "a-new-post",
"created_at": "2018-12-06T21:13:26.000000Z",
"updated_at": "2018-12-06T21:13:26.000000Z"
}
}].
Failed asserting that an array has the subset Array &0 (
'data' => Array &1 (
'title' => 'A new post'
'content' => 'Some content'
'slug' => 'a-new-post'
'created_at' => '2018-12-06 21:13:26'
'updated_at' => '2018-12-06 21:13:26'
)
).
--- Expected
+++ Actual
## ##
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => 'Some content',
'slug' => 'a-new-post',
- 'created_at' => '2018-12-06 21:13:26',
- 'updated_at' => '2018-12-06 21:13:26',
+ 'created_at' => '2018-12-06T21:13:26.000000Z',
+ 'updated_at' => '2018-12-06T21:13:26.000000Z',
),
)
I tried adding 000000Z that and got the same problems.
There was 1 failure:
1) Tests\Feature\ReadPostsTest::a_user_can_read_a_single_post
Unable to find JSON fragment:
[{"data":{"content":"Some content","created_at":"2019-12-20 21:42:33.000000Z","id":1,"slug":"a-new-post","title":"A new post","updated_at":"2019-12-20 21:42:33.000000Z"}}]
within
[{"data":{"content":"Some content","created_at":"2019-12-20T21:42:33.000000Z","id":1,"slug":"a-new-post","title":"A new post","updated_at":"2019-12-20T21:42:33.000000Z"}}].
Failed asserting that false is true.
It seems like my created_at and up_dated at timestamps are messed up for a reason that I have no idea why? 2019-12-20T21:42:33.000000ZThat's probably what's getting my tests to fail. How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Use carbon on your post model factory and then use $post->created_at and $post->updated_at in the json assertion:
public function a_user_can_read_a_single_post()
{
$post = factory(Post::class)->create([
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
"updated_at" => Carbon::now()->timestamp,
"created_at" => Carbon::now()->timestamp
]);
//dd($post);
$response = $this->json('GET', '/posts/' . $post->id)
->assertStatus(200)
->assertJsonFragment([ 'data' => [
'id' => 1,
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
"updated_at" => $post->updated_at,
"created_at" => $post->created_at
]]);
}
For some reason a string of timestamps doesn't work. Hopefully someone else can comment as to why.

Answer 2

You probably want to use Carbon's setTestNow() to fix what 'now' means during the test.
Written with the assumption you are using Laravel.
// Immutable, so you don't go insane.
$now = \Carbon\CarbonImmutable::now()->micro(0);
// Fix Carbon's 'now' to that time
\Illuminate\Support\Carbon::setTestNow($now)
// \Carbon\CarbonImmutable::setTestNow($now);
// Your tests here
// u = microseconds, but it's not set to '000000' in 'now', if you forget `->micro(0)`.
// The 'Y-m-d\TH:i:s.u\Z' format works with Laravel 6.20.19 in march 2021, but YMMV.
// ->assertJSon(['created_at' => $now->utc()->format('Y-m-d\TH:i:s.000000\Z'),])
// Release Carbon's 'now' time to follow your clock again.
\Illuminate\Support\Carbon::setTestNow(null)
// \Carbon\CarbonImmutable::setTestNow(null);

Answer 3

It looks like you're struggling with the timestamps format. I had the same issue and solved it through the JSON serialization, found in the Carbon documentation. In your case, it must look like this:
public function a_user_can_read_a_single_post()
{
$post = factory(Post::class)->create([
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
"updated_at" => Carbon::now()->timestamp,
"created_at" => Carbon::now()->timestamp
]);
$response = $this->json('GET', '/posts/' . $post->id)
->assertStatus(200)
->assertJsonFragment([ 'data' => [
'id' => 1,
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
"updated_at" => $post->updated_at->jsonSerialize(),
"created_at" => $post->created_at->jsonSerialize()
]]);
}
It may be a little late, but hopefully helps to others.
Good luck buddy.

Answer 4

It works for me when I do this (Note: I put the date with ones to simplify the process):
use Carbon\Carbon;
class ExampleTest extends TestCase
{
protected function setUp(): void
{
Carbon::setTestNow(Carbon::create(1111, 1, 11, 11));
}
/** #test */
public function your_awesome_test()
{
$this->postJson(route('route.name'),[
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
])->assertJsonFragment([
'data' => [
'id' => 1,
'title' => 'A new post',
'content' => "Some content",
'slug' => "a-new-post",
"updated_at" => Carbon::setTestNow(),
"created_at" => Carbon::setTestNow()
]
];
}
}