PowerShell Pester — Lesson 3: Mocking, Isolation, and Data-Driven Tests

Learning Objectives

• Mock commands, APIs, files, services, and external dependencies
• Validate mock calls, parameters, scope, and execution count
• Use test cases and reusable setup for data-driven testing

Detailed Topics

• Mock commands: Mock commands, APIs, files, services, and external dependencies
• Validate mock calls: Validate mock calls, parameters, scope, and execution count
• Use test cases and reusable setup for data-driven testing: Use test cases and reusable setup for data-driven testing

Guided Demonstration

1. Review the requirement, environment, dependencies, roles, risks, and expected outcome.
2. Demonstrate the relevant configuration, analysis, code, or administration workflow step by step.
3. Capture settings, outputs, logs, screenshots, calculations, or test evidence.
4. Compare the observed result with the stated acceptance criteria.

Hands-On Activity

Isolate external dependencies and create repeatable data-driven tests.

• Document assumptions and the planned sequence before making changes.
• Complete the activity and preserve evidence of normal and exception behavior.
• Record issues, corrective actions, and reusable operational or development notes.

Troubleshooting Focus

• Separate symptoms from causes and collect evidence before applying a fix.
• Check configuration, permissions, data, dependencies, capacity, connectivity, and recent changes.
• Validate rollback, recovery, support ownership, and user or business impact.

Validation Checklist

• The requirement and expected outcome are clear.
• The selected configuration, design, query, code, or process is documented.
• Normal, boundary, failure, security, and operational conditions are reviewed.
• The result is supported by evidence and the next improvement is prioritized.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can explain and apply Mocking, Isolation, and Data-Driven Tests in a realistic scenario and validate the result with documented evidence.