abstract test case using python unittest
Question: Is it possible to create an abstract `TestCase`, that will have some test_*
methods, but this `TestCase` won't be called and those methods will only be
used in subclasses? I think I am going to have one abstract `TestCase` in my
test suite and it will be subclassed for a few different implementation of a
single interface. This is why all test methods are the some, only one,
internal method changes. How can I do it in elegant way?


Answer: I didn't quite understand what do you plan to do -- the rule of thumb is "not
to be smart with tests" - just have them there, plain written.

But to achieve what you want, if you inherit from unittest.TestCase, whenever
you call unittest.main() your "abstract" class will be executed - I think this
is the situation you want to avoid.

Just do this: Create your "abstract" class inheriting from "object", not from
TestCase. And for the actual "concrete" implementations, just use multiple
inheritance: inherit from both unittest.TestCase and from your abstract class.

    
    
    import unittest
    
    class Abstract(object):
        def test_a(self):
            print "Running for class", self.__class__
    
    class Test(Abstract, unittest.TestCase):
        pass
    
    unittest.main()
    

**update** : reversed the inheritance order - `Abstract` first so that its
defintions are not overriden by `TestCase` defaults, as well pointed in the
comments bellow.

