To efficiently generate a baseline set of data for unit tests that can be shared across multiple test methods, you should:
Option A: Use @TestSetup with a void method.
@TestSetup Annotation:
The @TestSetup method runs once before any test methods in the test class and is used to create common test data.
Data created in @TestSetup is available to all test methods within the test class.
Example:
@IsTest
private class MyTestClass {
@TestSetup
static void setupData() {
// Create Accounts, Contacts, Products, Assets
// This data is available to all test methods
}
@IsTest
static void testCase1() {
// Test logic here
}
@IsTest
static void testCase2() {
// Test logic here
}
}
Reference:
"Use test setup methods (methods that are annotated with @TestSetup) to create test records once and then access them in every test method in the test class."
- Apex Developer Guide: Using Test Setup Methods
Why Other Options Are Less Efficient:
Option B: Create test data before Test.startTest() in the unit test.
This approach would require creating test data in each test method, leading to code duplication.
Option C: Add @IsTest(seeAllData=true) at the start of the unit test class.
Using seeAllData=true is discouraged as it makes tests dependent on org data, which can lead to unreliable tests.
Option D: Create a mock using the Stub API.
The Stub API is used for mocking interfaces and not for creating test data.
Conclusion:
Using @TestSetup methods is the most efficient way to generate required test data for unit tests.