CakePHP 2.4 mock a method in a model

Question

I want to test a model and for one of those tests I want to mock a method of the model I am testing. So I don't test a controller and I don't want to replace a whole model, just one method of the same model I test.

Reason is that this model method calls a file upload handler. This feature is already tested elsewhere.

What I am doing now is: I test the model 'Content'. There I test it's method 'addTeaser', which calls 'sendTeaser'. SO I want to mock sendTeaser and fake a successful answer of the method sendTeaser, while testing addTeaser.

That looks like this:

    $model = $this->getMock('Content', array('sendTeaser'));
    $model->expects($this->any())
    ->method('sendTeaser')
    ->will($this->returnValue(array('ver' => ROOT.DS.APP_DIR.DS.'webroot/img/teaser/5/555_ver.jpg')));


    $data = array(
        'Content' => array(
            'objnbr' => '555',
            'name' => '',
             ...
            )
        )
    );
    $result = $model->addTeaser($data);
    $expected = true;
    $this->assertEquals($expected, $result);

When I let my test run, I get an error that a model within the method 'sendTeaser' is not called properly. Hey! It shouldn't be called! I mocked the method! ..... or not?

What would be the proper syntax for mocking the method?

Thanks a lot as always for help!

Calamity Jane

Edit: Here is the relevant code for my model:

    App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
    /**
    * Content Model
    *
    * @property Category $Category
    */
    class Content extends AppModel {

    public $dateipfad = '';
    public $fileName = '';
    public $errormessage = '';
    public $types = array(
        'sqr' => 'square - more or less squarish',
        'hor' => 'horizontal - clearly wider than high',
        'lnd' => 'landscape - low but very wide',
        'ver' => 'column - clearly higher than wide',
    );
    public $order = "Content.id DESC";
    public $actsAs = array('Containable');

    public $validateFile = array(
        'size' => 307200,
        'type' => array('jpeg', 'jpg'),
    );


    //The Associations below have been created with all possible keys, those that are not needed can be removed

    public $hasMany = array(
        'CategoriesContent' => array(
        'className' => 'CategoriesContent',
        ),
        'ContentsTag' => array(
        'className' => 'ContentsTag',
        ),
        'Description' => array(
        'className'  => 'Description',
        )
    );





    /**
    * Saves the teaser images of all formats.
    *
    * @param array $data
    *
    * @return Ambigous <Ambigous, string, boolean>
    */
    public function addTeaser($data)
    {
        $objnbr = $data['Content']['objnbr'];
        $type = $data['Content']['teaser-type'];

        if (!empty($data['Content']['teaser-img']['tmp_name'])) {
        $mFileNames = $this->sendTeaser($data, $objnbr, $type);
        }

        if (!is_array($mFileNames)) {
        $error = $mFileNames;
        //Something failed. Remove the image uploaded if any.
        $this->deleteMovedFile(WWW_ROOT.IMAGES_URL.$mFileNames);
        return $error;
        }
        return true;
    }



    /**
    * Define imagename and save the file under this name.
    *
    * Since we use Imagechache, we don't create a small version anymore.
    *
    * @param integer $objnbr
    * @param string $teasername
    *
    * @return multitype:Ambigous <string, boolean> |Ambigous <boolean, string>
    */
    public function sendTeaser($data, $objnbr, $type)
    {
        //$path = str_replace('htdocs','tmp',$_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']);
        $this->fileName = $this->getImageName($objnbr, $type);
        $oUH = $this->getUploadHandler($data['Content']['teaser-img']);
        debug($oUH);
        exit;
        $error = $oUH->handleFileUpload();
        if (empty($type))
        $type = 0;
        if ($error === 'none'){
        // Send to ImageChacheServer
        $oICC = $this->getImagecacheConnector();
        $sCacheUrl = $oICC->uploadFile($objnbr, $type, $this->fileName);
        debug($sCacheUrl);
        return array($type => $this->fileName);
        }
        return $error;
    }


    public function getUploadHandler($imgdata)
    {
        App::uses('UploadHandler', 'Lib');
        $oUH = new UploadHandler($this, $imgdata);
        return $oUH;
    }



}

Changing getMock to getMockForModel didn't change the output though.

Answer 1

$this->getMock is not the way to mock. You should use $this->generate

I would reccomend you to read a book about CakePHP unti testing, like this: https://leanpub.com/cakephpunittesting

Answer 2

I'd like to emphasize the answer from @ndm using Cake test helper class CakeTestCase::getMockForModel()

$theModel = CakeTestCase::getMockForModel('Modelname', ['theMethodToMock']);
$theModel->expects($this->once())
         ->method('theMethodToMock')
         ->will($this->returnValue('valueToReturn'));