Algorand TypeScript Testing

algorand-typescript-testing is a companion package to Algorand Typescript that enables efficient unit testing of Algorand TypeScript smart contracts in an offline environment. This package emulates key AVM behaviors without requiring a network connection, offering fast and reliable testing capabilities with a familiar TypeScript interface.

The algorand-typescript-testing package provides:

• A simple interface for fast and reliable unit testing
• An offline testing environment that simulates core AVM functionality
• A familiar TypeScript experience, compatible with testing frameworks like vitest, and jest

Quick Start

algorand-typescript is a prerequisite for algorand-typescript-testing, providing stubs and type annotations for Algorand TypeScript syntax. It enhances code completion and type checking when writing smart contracts. Note that this code isn't directly executable in standard Node.js environment; it's compiled by puya-ts into TEAL for Algorand Network deployment.

Traditionally, testing Algorand smart contracts involved deployment on sandboxed networks and interacting with live instances. While robust, this approach can be inefficient and lacks versatility for testing Algorand TypeScript code.

Enter algorand-typescript-testing: it leverages TypeScript's rich testing ecosystem for unit testing without network deployment. This enables rapid iteration and granular logic testing.

NOTE: While algorand-typescript-testing offers valuable unit testing capabilities, it's not a replacement for comprehensive testing. Use it alongside other test types, particularly those running against the actual Algorand Network, for thorough contract validation.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12 or later
• Algorand Python
• Node.js 20.x or later
• Algorand TypeScript

Installation

algorand-typescript-testing is distributed via npm. Install the package using npm:

npm i @algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript-testing

Testing your first contract

Let's write a simple contract and test it using the algorand-typescript-testing framework.

If you are using vitest with @rollup/plugin-typescript plugin, configure puyaTsTransformer as a before stage transformer of typescript plugin in vitest.config.mts file.

import typescript from '@rollup/plugin-typescript'
import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
import { puyaTsTransformer } from '@algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript-testing/test-transformer'

export default defineConfig({
  esbuild: {},
  test: {
    setupFiles: 'vitest.setup.ts',
  },
  plugins: [
    typescript({
      tsconfig: './tsconfig.json',
      transformers: {
        before: [puyaTsTransformer],
      },
    }),
  ],
})

algorand-typescript-testing package also exposes additional equality testers which enables the smart contract developers to write terser test by avoiding type casting in assertions. It can setup in beforeAll hook point in the setup file, vitest.setup.ts.

import { beforeAll, expect } from 'vitest'
import { addEqualityTesters } from '@algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript-testing'

beforeAll(() => {
  addEqualityTesters({ expect })
})

Contract Definition

import { arc4, assert, Bytes, GlobalState, gtxn, LocalState, op, Txn, uint64, Uint64 } from '@algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript'

export default class VotingContract extends arc4.Contract {
  topic = GlobalState({ initialValue: 'default_topic', key: Bytes('topic') })
  votes = GlobalState({ initialValue: Uint64(0), key: Bytes('votes') })
  voted = LocalState<uint64>({ key: Bytes('voted') })

  @arc4.abimethod()
  public setTopic(topic: string): void {
    this.topic.value = topic
  }
  @arc4.abimethod()
  public vote(pay: gtxn.PaymentTxn): boolean {
    assert(op.Global.groupSize === 2, 'Expected 2 transactions')
    assert(pay.amount === 10_000, 'Incorrect payment amount')
    assert(pay.sender === Txn.sender, 'Payment sender must match transaction sender')

    if (this.voted(Txn.sender).hasValue) {
      return false // Already voted
    }

    this.votes.value = this.votes.value + 1
    this.voted(Txn.sender).value = 1
    return true
  }

  @arc4.abimethod({ readonly: true })
  public getVotes(): uint64 {
    return this.votes.value
  }

  public clearStateProgram(): boolean {
    return true
  }
}

Test Definition

import { Uint64 } from '@algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript'
import { TestExecutionContext } from '@algorandfoundation/algorand-typescript-testing'
import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from 'vitest'
import VotingContract from './contract.algo'

describe('Voting contract', () => {
  const ctx = new TestExecutionContext()
  afterEach(() => {
    ctx.reset()
  })

  test('vote function', () => {
    // Initialize the contract within the testing context
    const contract = ctx.contract.create(VotingContract)

    const voter = ctx.defaultSender
    const payment = ctx.any.txn.payment({
      sender: voter,
      amount: 10_000,
    })

    const result = contract.vote(payment)
    expect(result).toEqual(true)
    expect(contract.votes.value).toEqual(1)
    expect(contract.voted(voter).value).toEqual(1)
  })

  test('setTopic function', () => {
    // Initialize the contract within the testing context
    const contract = ctx.contract.create(VotingContract)

    const newTopic = ctx.any.string(10)
    contract.setTopic(newTopic)
    expect(contract.topic.value).toEqual(newTopic)
  })

  test('getVotes function', () => {
    // Initialize the contract within the testing context
    const contract = ctx.contract.create(VotingContract)

    contract.votes.value = 5
    const votes = contract.getVotes()
    expect(votes).toEqual(5)
  })
})

This example demonstrates key aspects of testing with algorand-typescript-testing for ARC4-based contracts:

1. ARC4 Contract Features:

   • Use of arc4.Contract as the base class for the contract.
   • ABI methods defined using the @arc4.abimethod decorator.
   • Readonly method annotation with @arc4.abimethod({readonly: true}).

2. Testing ARC4 Contracts:

   • Creation of an arc4.Contract instance within the test context.
   • Use of ctx.any for generating random test data.
   • Direct invocation of ABI methods on the contract instance.

3. Transaction Handling:

   • Use of ctx.any.txn to create test transactions.
   • Passing transaction objects as parameters to contract methods.

4. State Verification:

   • Checking global and local state changes after method execution.
   • Verifying return values from ABI methods.

NOTE: Thorough testing is crucial in smart contract development due to their immutable nature post-deployment. Comprehensive unit and integration tests ensure contract validity and reliability. Optimizing for efficiency can significantly improve user experience by reducing transaction fees and simplifying interactions. Investing in robust testing and optimization practices is crucial and offers many benefits in the long run.

Next steps

To dig deeper into the capabilities of algorand-typescript-testing, continue with the following sections.

Contents

• Testing Guide
• Examples
• Coverage
• FQA
• API Reference
• Algorand TypeScript