TestContext is null when it is accessed from base class's virtual method

Question

I have a base class ScriptBase which has a virtual function called MyTestInitialize(). When I call MyTestInitialize() from derived class, then the value of testContextInstance is null. Is there any solution for this? Please help as I am new to Automation Testing. Thanks in Advance

[CodedUITest]
public class ScriptsBase
{
    public ScriptsBase()
    {   
    }

    private static TestContext bingTestContext;

    public static TestContext BingTestContext
    {
        get { return ScriptsBase.bingTestContext; }
        set { ScriptsBase.bingTestContext = value;}
    }

    #region TestInitialize
    //Use TestInitialize to run code before running each test 
    [TestInitialize()]
    public virtual void MyTestInitialize()
    {
        Browser.CloseAllBrowsers();
        BingTestContext = testContextInstance;
    }
    #endregion

    #region TestCleanup
    //Use TestCleanup to run code after each test has run
    [TestCleanup()]
    public virtual void MyTestCleanup()
    {
        PPI.HomePage = new HomePageUI();
        Browser.CloseAllBrowsers();
    }
    #endregion

    #region TestContext
    /// <summary>
    ///Gets or sets the test context which provides
    ///information about and functionality for the current test run.
    ///</summary>
    public TestContext TestContext
    {
        get
        {
            return testContextInstance;
        }
        set
        {
            testContextInstance = value;
        }
    }
    private TestContext testContextInstance;
    #endregion
}

 public class DestinationMasterTestScripts : ScriptsBase
  {
       public DestinationMasterTestScripts()
       {      
       }

       [TestInitialize()]
       public override void MyTestInitialize()
       {
           Console.WriteLine("Initialize");
           base.MyTestInitialize();
       }
   }     

Answer 1

Try creating a ClassInitialize method:

    private static TestContext bingTestContext

    [ClassInitialize]
    public static void ClassInit(TestContext con)
    {
      bingTestContext = con;
    }

Answer 2

Another option is to declare the TestContext as abstract in your base class

public abstract TestContext TestContext { get; set; }

And override it in your most derived concrete class(es)

public override TestContext TestContext { get; set; }

Answer 3

Not sure if something has changed in the 6 years since this question was posted, but this works for me almost as-is. Add [TestClass] to the derived class and the TestContext gets set up just fine. There's also no need for BingTestContext at all. Just use this.TestContext from derived classes.

using System;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;

public class ScriptsBase
{
    public static TestContext BingTestContext { get; set; }

    public TestContext TestContext { get; set; }

    [TestInitialize]
    public virtual void MyTestInitialize()
    {
        BingTestContext = this.TestContext;
    }

    [TestCleanup]
    public virtual void MyTestCleanup()
    {
    }
}

[TestClass]
public class DestinationMasterTestScripts : ScriptsBase
{
    [TestInitialize]
    public override void MyTestInitialize()
    {
        base.MyTestInitialize();
    }

    [TestMethod]
    public void Foo()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(this.TestContext);
    }
}

Answer 4

See if this helps, I find it working when I set base class TestContext with derived class one.

public TestContext TestContext
{
    get
    {
        return testContextInstance;
    }
    set
    {
        base.TestContext = value;
        testContextInstance = value;
    }
}

private TestContext testContextInstance;

Answer 5

You should use equal classes for Assert and TestContext like:

using Assert = NUnit.Framework.Assert;

using TestContext = NUnit.Framework.TestContext;