Exploring Alternative Testing Strategies in Elixir

Nicholas Henry's session at ElixirConf US 2024, titled 'Beyond Mocks: Messing with Our Preconceptions of Testing,' presents a new perspective on testing in Elixir. He addresses the problems associated with using test mocks, which can lead to unreliable results, especially when refactoring code. Henry introduces the Nullable pattern, an experimental method that simplifies the management of dependencies using 'nullable infrastructure wrappers' instead of traditional mocks. This technique aims to create more robust and maintainable tests. Throughout the talk, practical examples showcasing the use of Nullables in Elixir are discussed, encouraging attendees to rethink their testing strategies. By the end of the session, the goal is to inspire experimentation with alternative testing techniques that can result in cleaner and more effective code.