Question 1

How do I mock time.Sleep in Go unit tests with Clockwork?

Accepted Answer

Inject a FakeClock into your function and use clock.Sleep instead of time.Sleep. In tests, you can advance time instantly with c.Advance() to simulate the sleep without waiting, making tests fast and deterministic.

Question 2

Clockwork vs gomock for time mocking in Go?

Accepted Answer

Clockwork is specifically designed for mocking time with a simple, built-in fake clock, while gomock is a general mocking framework requiring custom mocks. Clockwork is more idiomatic and easier for time-specific testing, but gomock offers broader mocking capabilities.

Question 3

Does Clockwork handle context timeouts in tests?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Clockwork integrates with Go contexts through BlockUntilContext, which blocks until goroutines are waiting on the clock. This helps test code that uses context deadlines or timeouts by ensuring proper synchronization.

Question 4

How to test code that uses time.Now() with Clockwork?

Accepted Answer

Replace time.Now() with clock.Now() in your code. In tests, FakeClock allows you to set or advance the current time using methods like Advance, so you can control what Now returns for precise assertions.

Question 5

Is Clockwork suitable for integration tests?

Accepted Answer

Clockwork is best for unit tests where time needs to be mocked. For integration tests requiring real-time behavior, use RealClock or the actual system clock, as FakeClock's simulations might not accurately reflect real-world delays.

Question 6

How to advance time by specific intervals like minutes in Clockwork tests?

Accepted Answer

Use the Advance method on FakeClock with a time.Duration, e.g., c.Advance(30 * time.Minute). This moves the fake clock forward instantly, allowing you to test time-based logic without real delays.

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