Document how to avoid assertions causing test timeout (issue #45)

README.md

@@ -73,8 +73,12 @@ describe('lower-case Node', function () {
     var flow = [{ id: "n1", type: "lower-case", name: "lower-case" }];
     helper.load(lowerNode, flow, function () {
       var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
-      n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
-      done();
+      try {
+        n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
+        done();
+      } catch(err) {
+        done(err);
+      }
     });
   });
 
@@ -87,8 +91,12 @@ describe('lower-case Node', function () {
       var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
       var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
       n2.on("input", function (msg) {
-        msg.should.have.property('payload', 'uppercase');
-        done();
+        try {
+          msg.should.have.property('payload', 'uppercase');
+          done();
+        } catch(err) {
+          done(err);
+        }
       });
       n1.receive({ payload: "UpperCase" });
     });
@@ -100,9 +108,11 @@ In this example, we require `should` for assertions, this helper module, as well
 
 We then have a set of mocha unit tests.  These tests check that the node loads correctly, and ensures it makes the payload string lower case as expected.
 
+Note how the assertion failures are caught explicitly and passed to the `done()` call.  Node-RED swallows exceptions that are raised in the flow, so we make sure the test framework is aware of them.  Not doing so would simply lead to a test timeout because `done()` is never called in case of an assertion failure.
+
 ## Initializing Helper
 
-To get started, we need to tell the helper where to find the node-red runtime.  this is done by calling `helper.init(require.resolve('node-red'))` as shown.
+To get started, we need to tell the helper where to find the node-red runtime.  This is done by calling `helper.init(require.resolve('node-red'))` as shown.
 
 The helper takes an optional `userSettings` parameter which is merged with the runtime defaults.
 

examples/lower-case_spec.js

@@ -13,17 +13,25 @@ describe('lower-case Node', function () {
     var flow = [{ id: "n1", type: "lower-case", name: "lower-case" }];
     helper.load(lowerNode, flow, function () {
       var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
-      n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
-      done();
+      try {
+        n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
+        done();
+      } catch(err) {
+        done(err);
+      }
     });
   });
 
   it('should be loaded in exported flow', function (done) {
     var flow = [{"id":"3912a37a.c3818c","type":"lower-case","z":"e316ac4b.c85a2","name":"lower-case","x":240,"y":320,"wires":[[]]}];
     helper.load(lowerNode, flow, function () {
       var n1 = helper.getNode("3912a37a.c3818c");
-      n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
-      done();
+      try {
+        n1.should.have.property('name', 'lower-case');
+        done();
+      } catch(err) {
+        done(err);
+      }
     });
   });
 
@@ -36,8 +44,12 @@ describe('lower-case Node', function () {
       var n2 = helper.getNode("n2");
       var n1 = helper.getNode("n1");
       n2.on("input", function (msg) {
-        msg.should.have.property('payload', 'uppercase');
-        done();
+        try {
+          msg.should.have.property('payload', 'uppercase');
+          done();
+        } catch(err) {
+          done(err);
+        }
       });
       n1.receive({ payload: "UpperCase" });
     });