Rethinking Testing Approaches in Elixir

Nicholas Henry presents an innovative approach to testing in Elixir, challenging the conventional reliance on mocks. He explores the limitations of mocks, which often lead to unreliable test results, especially when refactoring code. Instead, he introduces the Nullable pattern, which simplifies testing with external dependencies through 'nullable infrastructure wrappers.' This experimental technique aims to enhance the robustness and maintainability of tests. The presentation includes practical examples of applying the Nullable patterns and encourages developers to rethink their testing strategies to align better with Elixir's strengths, ultimately leading to cleaner and more effective code.