Pointers on using Moles for unit testing

Scenario 1

TestContext tContext = (TestContext)TestContextUtility.GetData(Constants.TestContextKey);

TestContextUtility is a class which returns an object when GetData property is accessed (it also expects a string parameter). You want to mock this using moles.

Solution:

TestContext ctx = new TestContext();  
MTestContextUtility.GetDataString = (s) => { return ctx; };  

...where MTestContextUtility is generated by Moles, s is the expected string parameter variable (no need to declare this anywhere) and the method body returns TestContext object.

Scenario 2
ValResult res = CommonValidation.CreateValResult(settings, tContext.Info, true);
CreateValResult method returns a ValResult object. It accepts 3 parameters, the 3rd parameters being boolean. You want to return a mock ValResult and bypass the logic in CreateValResult

Solution:
MCommonValidation.CreateValResultSettingsInfoBoolean = (d, u, p) =>  
 {  
   return  
      new ValResult  
      {  
        ErrorMessage = "this is an error",  
        ErrorNumber = "123"  
      };  
 };  


...where MCommonValidation is generated by Moles, d, u, p are variables and method returns a mock ValResult object. You can return this object based on input conditions too.

Scenario 3
When you need to mock a private method:

public class EmployeeProvider  
 {  
 public CreateEmployeeContext  
 {  
  dbemp = ..//get from database  
  //then parse  
  var parsedEmployee = ParseEmployee(dbemp);  
 }  
 }  


EmployeeProvider class provides an employee through public method CreateEmployeeContext  

//private method which parses db employee to employee entity  
 private Employee ParseEmployee(DBEmployee emp)  
 {  
  Employee e = new Employee();  
  e.Name = emp.Name;  
 }  


ParseEmployee is the private method which we wish to mock

Solution:
MEmployeeProvider.AllInstances.ParseEmployeeDBEmployee = (a,b) => { return new Employee{ Name="test" };};  


...where a is DBEmployee and b is Employee (return type)