Unit Testing ASP.net Web Site Project code stored in App_Code

user_51 0
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I have an ASP.net Web Site Project (.net 3.5). Currently all of the non-code behind code files (including Linq2Sql stuff, data contexts, business logic, extension methods, etc) are located in the App_Code folder.

I am interested in introducing Unit Testing (using nunit) in at least some sections of the project moving forward. Any Unit Testing that I would be doing would need to have full access to all of the code that is currently located in the App_Code folder. I have done some initial reading so far, and the consensus seems to be:

  • This will not be possible given my current setup
  • Unit testing requires referencing classes that are part of a compiled dll, and a Web Site Project by definition only compiles at run time.
  • In order to proceed, I will need to either convert my entire project to a Web Application, or move all of the code that I would like to test (ie: the entire contents of App_Code) to a class library project and reference the class library project in the web site project. Either of these will provide access to the classes that I need in compiled dll format, which will allow me to Unit Test them.

Is this correct? Or is there another way that I can Unit Test without restructuring/refactoring my entire project?

web-site-project nunit unit-testing asp.net
8 Answers

Your conclusions seem correct. I would vote for moving functionality into one or several class library projects, since that may open the door for reusing the same functionality in other projects as well.

user_936230

It looks like this is possible whilst still using App_code, but I would either move this logic out to its own class library project or change the project type to Web Application, as Fredrik and Colin suggest.

I always create my own ASP.NET projects as Web Application projects not Websites.

user_975580

And as the OP stated it's also possible to move to a Web App project, which i would say is cleaner as well, your pages can stay in the wep app project, you will have them in 1 DLL (testable). All your business logic etc. goes in a separate class library / libraries.

user_1196600
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