How to run PHPUnit tests in a specific order?

@brandy 

By default, PHPUnit executes test methods in alphabetical order. However, it is generally recommended to write independent and isolated tests that do not rely on a specific execution order. This helps to ensure that your tests can be executed in parallel without any issues.

That being said, there are cases where you may need to run PHPUnit tests in a specific order, such as if one test depends on the outcome of another test. While this is not encouraged, PHPUnit provides a few ways to achieve this:

1. Test Suites: Organize your tests into different test suites and specify the order of execution using the --testsuite option. You can define a suite in your phpunit.xml configuration file or create a custom test suite class. Then, execute the tests in the desired order by specifying the suite name. vendor/bin/phpunit --testsuite SuiteA,SuiteB,SuiteC
2. Dependent Tests: Use the @depends annotation to define dependencies between tests based on their execution order. By marking a test method with the @depends annotation, you can specify which other test method(s) must be executed successfully before running the current test. public function testFirstTest() { // ... return $value; } /** * @depends testFirstTest */ public function testSecondTest($value) { // ... } Note that if a dependency fails, the dependent test will be marked as skipped.
3. Test Execution Order: Another option is to implement a custom test listener or use a trait to control the execution order of the test methods. By extending PHPUnit's base test listener or using the OrderedTestTrait, you can override the startTest() method and specify the order in which the test methods should run. However, this approach may not be recommended as it violates the principle of independent and isolated tests and can lead to test brittleness. class MyListener extends PHPUnitFrameworkBaseTestListener { public function startTest(PHPUnitFrameworkTest $test): void { if ($test instanceof MyTestClass) { if ($test->getName() === 'testSecondTest') { return; } } parent::startTest($test); } } // In your phpunit.xml or bootstrap file PHPUnitFrameworkDefaultTestListenerInvoker::getInstance() ->addTestListener(new MyListener());

Remember, it is good practice to keep your tests independent and isolated. If you find that you need to run tests in a specific order, consider whether there are design or architectural improvements that can be made to achieve more independent tests.