What naming conventions do you use in testing for your simulators/mocks/stubs/test doubles/service virtualization/...?

API Testing
#1

There are many tools that implement test doubles that are used by developers and testers.
Just to name a few that I have in mind and give you more context:

  • Charles Proxy
  • Hoverfly
  • Mountebank
  • SoapUI MockServer
  • Traffic Parrot
  • Wiremock
  • CA Lisa
  • and many more

The vendors and people using those tools call them names like:

  • service virtualization
  • over the wire test doubles
  • api mock
  • api simulation
  • stub
  • mock
    and many more.

Please help me by answering these 3 questions:

  • What names do you use or know to call those tools?
  • What names make the most sense to you?
  • What names make the least sense to you?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

#2
#3

My convention is:

  • Null - implementation replacement that does nothing. eg /dev/null is a replacement for stdout
  • Stub - small as possible replacement when a Null version will not do
  • Mock - replacement that can be controlled to have explicit behaviour and verify interactions
  • Simulator - may have some behaviour to try and emulate parts of the thing it’s replacing

And also

  • Spy - Acts as a bridge to the real thing (or replacement) but observes all the data
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