Introduction

I am sure you must have known one of the leading modern, general-purpose programming languages, i.e. C#. After all, technology is used to achieve a wide range of tasks and objectives in various professions. Now whenever the term C# comes to your mind I am sure you must also be thinking of Windows .NET framework, but one must know C# isn’t limited to Windows it is quite compatible with several other open-source systems.

Pronounced as C-Sharp, C# is an object-oriented programming language developed by the tech giant Microsoft which runs mostly on the .NET framework. Its roots are mainly from the C family and the language is pretty close to other popular languages such as C++ and Java. Do you remember when exactly its first version was released? 2002, yes it’s been more than 2 decades and the importance of C# keeps on increasing now and then. Now I have been asked many times where C# is used in the .Net app development process. Well, I say where not? From mobile application development to desktop applications, web applications, web services, websites, games, VR, database applications, and much much more.

Some of the best examples of C# include - Microsoft Visual Studio, Paint.NET, Open Dental, KeePass, NMath, Pinta, OpenRA, and a lot more.

Why C#?

Well, C# somehow manages to offer a plethora of advantages. We have nailed down the top five for you. I am pretty sure after going through these below-mentioned advantages, you won’t be thinking of any other option here for your upcoming development project.

1. Saves Time

One of the biggest advantages of considering C# is that it saves quite a lot of time. Yes, here there is no need to use different programming languages, one is enough. Also, it may quite interest you to know that C# is pretty easy to read and users won’t have to scour their scripts for small issues and errors. In addition to all this, there will be no disruption in the overall functioning of the application.

2. Easy to get started

Another benefit of considering C# is that it is pretty easy to get started. Yes, developers find it pretty easy to learn as opposed to the more difficult programming languages available across the globe. Simplicity and easy-to-use features are its USP and assure a low learning curve for both beginners and well-experienced professionals.

C# is one such language that concerns developers' comfortability and makes things easy for them to become familiar with programming without being discouraged and overwhelmed.

3. Quite Scalable

Another benefit to considering C# is that it is pretty scalable and easy to maintain. You see, software development projects are no longer a one-time approach, they keep ongoing for years so you need a technology that ensures seamless scalability and easy maintenance. Despite the strict nature of static codes, C# is pretty consistent and easy to adjust and maintain in comparison to other programs that are written using different languages.

So if you are willing to redo a project that is written in C# then even though the process may have changed over all these years, the C# stack has remained the same across the board.

4. Object-Oriented

And we have the next advantage, which is that C# turns out to be object-oriented. This means in comparison to other available programming languages which are not thoroughly object-oriented, they might be but to an extent, C# has accomplished the magnitude without even losing its favor. And since it is object-oriented, efficiency, flexibility, scalability, robustness, and precision, are some of its unsaid benefits. 

5. Large Community

And lastly, C# comprises a pretty huge community of programmers, some might be new, some might incorporate mid-level expertise, and some are veterans who are always happy to help no matter what. So in case you happen to experience some kind of roadblock or frustration. There are several other communities where members can conduct both online and IRL discussions consistently.

 Do you think C# Is limited to being a programming language? Of course not! Have you come across C# testing frameworks? The following post is all about what are C# testing frameworks and which one is the best C# testing framework to consider.

What is a C# Testing Framework?

C# testing framework is a large set of tools and APIs that can assist well in constructing, running as well as managing different automation testing procedures within C# applications. Here developers are bound to find systematic methods to design, and architect test suites so that the developed software works according to predetermined needs and requirements.

An ideal C# Testing Framework must comprise of the following aspects such as:

• Test case organization - This feature assures to group tests into different logical units such as test classes and suites resulting in better organization and management.
• Assertions - The next feature assists in developing functions to assure that the code has successfully followed all the pre-determined and desired sequences for the code which can be successfully used under automation testing so that the entire program can behave quite logically. 
• Setup and teardown - The feature in the C# testing framework supports setup and different teardown actions just to initialize the test environment in the proper order. 
• Test discovery and execution - Seamless execution and testing of the code and offering proper responses regarding test results and errors associated with the code.
• Mocking and stubbing - Here with the help of this feature, developers can create mock objects to stimulate dependencies and isolate different units of code for seamless automation testing.

Top C# Testing Frameworks To Take into Account

1. C# Selenium WebDriver

The first C# framework which completely boggled my mind was C# Selenium WebDriver. The framework is widely considered for automation testing and has the potential to process navigation from the web page as well as seamless detection of the functions, performance, and user experience.

Developers now can easily write the code and stimulate user actions to verify different elements on the web page. This surely assists well in the seamless creation of reliable automated tests. And do you know what’s the best part here, it features cross-browser compatibility which certainly enables developers to write tests only once and run them thoroughly via multiple web browsers just to ensure as much test coverage as possible. Also, the C# framework is widely known for its amazing compatibility with different user environments.  

2. NUnit

The next C# framework to take into consideration is NUnit. Now Unit tests have this insane history of dating back almost 30 years so in other words they are long predated .NET. NUnit came into existence from Java’s JUnit but who would know that this tech would be destined to be more C# idiomatic?

Now this one turns out to be an open-source framework that comprises some of the best salient features such as:

• Here the use of automation is pretty insane. It is mainly done to mark the ultimate purpose of classes and methods, let’s say:
  • TestFixture for Test Classes
  • Test For Test Methods
  • Setup
  • TearDown
  • OneTimeSetUp
  • OneTimeTeardown for setups and teardowns
• The next feature is that NUnit successfully supports data-driven testing
• It successfully uses assertions to validate post-conditions
• Offers amazing parallelization

 NUnit is installed via the NuGet package which can be successfully searched for within Visual Studio and is a much more popular unit test framework for C#.

[TestFixture]

public class NUnitTests {

  [Test]

  public void TryShootDodgingEnemy() {

    Enemy enemy = new Enemy();

    Player gun = new Player();

    enemy.Dodge();

    gun.FireAt(enemy);

    enemy.Dodge();

    gun.FireAt(enemy);

    enemy.Dodge();

    gun.FireAt(enemy);

    Assert.IsFalse(enemy.IsDead());

    Assert.IsFalse(gun.HasLives());

  }

}

To successfully run test cases, one requires a proper command line and as soon as everything is set up the NUnit console runner successfully runs all kinds of tests within your project and generates a report with the best test results. NUnit successfully enables adding different parameters for seamless testing. Writing test cases with arguments it is possible to avoid all unique test cases for every set of arguments which specifically you are willing to test.

NUnit seems to have the distinction of interoperating nicely with different tools, let's say non-Microsoft build platforms and custom test runners. This C# framework has an insane reputation for fast test running and also comprises a wide range of additional features. Now I am not saying that NUnit doesn’t have any cons here. For example, the platform lacks innovation and doesn’t add new features aggressively. Still, every day is a war to prove their worth and gain a user base.

3. MSTest

MSTest offers developers one of the most efficient tools for writing as well as executing amazing unit tests for developing unique, robust, highly scalable .NET applications. MS Test is one such C# framework that has a successful track record for integrating well with IDE for seamless creation and management of unit tests effortlessly. What makes MSTest added to this particular list of the top C# testing frameworks?

• Test discovery
• Assertion Methods
• Test Execution
• Result Reporting
• Seamless validation of code’s behavior and functionality
• Enhances organization’s efficiency
• Seamless maintainability 

MS Test features visual Studio IDE which ensures a seamless beginning, no wonder after going through all the aforementioned features, why is MSTest emphasized for unit testing? Now let's say there is a player featuring 3 lives and the ultimate objective is to shoot the Enemy. And if they somehow fail to hit the enemy then they lose 1 life. So there is a need for the Enemy class as well where it is possible to dodge the player successfully. And if not then the enemy loses its life on the spot.

public class Player {

  private int lives = 3;

  public void FireAt(Enemy enemy) {

    if (HasLives()) {

      if (enemy.IsDodging()) {

        enemy.Miss();

        life--;

      } else {

        enemy.Hit();

      }

    }

  }

  public void Recharge() {

    ammo = 3;

  }

  public bool HasAmmo() {

    return ammo > 0;

  }

}

public class Enemy {

  private bool dodging;

  private bool dead;

  public void Dodge() {

    dodging = true;

  }

  public void Hit() {

    dead = true;

  }

  public void Miss() {

    dodging = false;

  }

  public bool IsDodging() {

    return dodging;

  }

  public bool Is Dead() {

    return dead;

  }

}

Now it’s time to delve into the first scenario where the Player shoots at the Enemy and he is dead.

[TestClass]

public class Class1

{

  [TestMethod]

  public void TryShootEnemy() {

    Enemy enemy = new Enemy();

    Player gun = new Player();

    gun.FireAt(enemy);

    Assert.IsTrue(enemy.IsDead());

  }

}

Though this is pretty basic yet extremely important to understand what MSTest is all about.

4. xUnit.NET

The next recommended C# framework to take into account is xUnit.NET which successfully follows a unit testing pattern where simplicity, clarity, and extensibility are pretty much taken into consideration. Here developers get to successfully work on a flexible platform that is highly known for writing as well as executing different unit tests to validate code functionality.

XUnit.NET consists of an extensible architecture that enables seamless integration with a wide range of tools and frameworks. Also, here you may come across a wide range of assertion methods and test runners for a diverse set of testing scenarios.

If you are looking for a C# framework that promotes test isolation, parallel test execution, and deterministic test outcomes then xUnit.NET is the ultimate solution to consider. Above all, it successfully supports test fixtures and setup/teardown methods, encourages test-driven development (TDD), and offers seamless integration with different tools in CI/CD pipelines.   

5. SpecFlow

The next popular C# testing framework is SpecFlow. It is a pretty one-of-a-kind C# automation framework. It’s a BDD framework that is highly recommended to use Gherkin to write tests in a natural language. This means even non-techies can understand what is being tested and what the outcome is.

SpecFlow is known for its seamless integration with other frameworks such as NUnit with Selenium with Visual Studio, and more. Some of the most alluring features of SpecFlow include:

• Integration with Visual Studio
• Great Reporting Capabilities
• Easy to understand
• Great support for parallel execution
• It’s a seamless collaboration framework that reduces the gap between technical and non-technical staff
• Enables users to write tests in a natural language syntax ensuring that even non-technical holders can understand well and give appropriate feedback.

So if you are looking for a C# testing framework that is open source and ensures good documentation, is Open-source and free to use, and supports a wide range of .NET languages then look no further than SpecFlow.

Conclusion

And we are done for now! Eventually, in today’s times test automation has become quite a compulsory task while conducting a software development lifecycle. All the aforementioned C# frameworks are the best and tend to assist developers as well as software testers and quality assurance teams to simplify testing procedures, quicker delivery and increase efficiency.

Now choosing the right framework can be quite a tough choice since each one is of a kind but to be precise you need to focus well on your needs and requirements and then make a decision. You see, the right one can surely assist in creating robust test suites, executing tests efficiently, obtaining accurate results, saving valuable time and effort, and a lot more. And if you happen to choose the wrong framework then lots and lots of complexities can be introduced, restricted flexibility, scalability and robustness, and above all disruption in your existing development environment.

In addition, it is always advisable to seek assistance from a reliable and reputable development company that carries immense expertise and experience in delivering the best possible solutions from their space. So yes, I hope the following post can assist you well in meeting your test needs. Wish you all the very best and I hope you will share the post with your peers and help us reach out to more and more avid readers like you. In case, if you have any doubts or queries, feel free to reach out in the comment section below.