Backend Testing in Go (Using DBeaver & Docker)

Lately, at work, I’ve been assigned the task to test the backend: queries, utils and rest API programmatically.

At first I was totally lost - searching for any examples on the internet (or GPT) didn’t help and I didn’t want to use a mock DB for this purpose

Thankfully, the senior developer in our team gave me clear pointers on where to begin (Thank you, Jungsu!)

So here are some of my notes:

Streamlined Golang Backend Testing Using DBeaver and Docker: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Installing DBeaver, Docker and PostgreSQL

DBeaver

DBeaver Community is a free cross-platform database tool for developers, database administrators, analysts, and everyone working with data. It supports all popular SQL databases like MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Apache Family, and more.

https://dbeaver.io/

To manage and visualize your database during testing, install DBeaver.

Get Started | Docker

Get started with Docker Desktop and join millions of developers in faster, more secure app development using containers and beyond.

https://www.docker.com/get-started/

Note:THIS IS WAYYYY BETTER THAN USING A MOCK DB

Step 2: Creating a Separate Database:

If you need a separate database instance, you can create one using Docker. Run the following command to set up a PostgreSQL database with a specific name, password, and port:


docker container run \
 --name alpha_db \
 -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword \
 -e PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata \
 -e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
 -v /Users/sansverse/Documents/docker-related/alpha:/var/lib/postgresql/data \
 -p 5433:5432 \
 -d postgres:15

Step 3: Preparing for Testing

Apply Migrations on Startup:

Integrate migration into your code to automatically apply database changes during startup. This ensures that your database schema is up-to-date before testing begins:

Loading .env File, which may look like this:


SERVER_HOST=10.10.1.41
SERVER_PORT=3001

DB_HOST=10.10.1.41
DB_PORT=5433
DB_USER=postgres
DB_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword
DB_NAME=postgres
DB_SSL_MODE=disable


func init() {
    err := godotenv.Load("./../../.env")
    if err != nil {
        logrus.Fatalln("Error loading .env file")
    }
}

Step 4: Running Tests

Run All Tests:

Execute all your tests using the following command:


$ go test -v ./...

Running Specific Tests:

If you want to run specific tests, use the -run flag along with a regular expression to filter tests:


$ go test -v -run <test_name_regex>

Conclusion

Efficient testing is essential for maintaining the quality of your Golang applications. By integrating DBeaver and Docker into your testing process, you can manage databases effortlessly and ensure that your backend is robust and reliable.