Unit Testing Strategies for SyteLine IDO Customizations
Testing SyteLine IDO customizations is one of the most neglected aspects of ERP development. The tight coupling between extension classes, the IDO runtime, and the database makes it challenging to write isolated unit tests. However, with the right architecture and mocking patterns, you can build a test suite that catches regressions before they reach production and gives your team confidence during upgrades and patches.
Structuring Extension Classes for Testability
The key to testable IDO extension classes is separating business logic from IDO runtime dependencies. Instead of writing all logic directly in IDO methods, extract business rules into plain C# classes that accept data as parameters and return results. The IDO method becomes a thin wrapper that reads data from the IDO context, calls the business logic class, and writes results back. This separation lets you unit test the business logic independently of the IDO runtime infrastructure.
- Extract business logic: public class PriceCalculator { public decimal Calculate(string custType, decimal qty, decimal listPrice) }
- IDO method becomes a wrapper: var calculator = new PriceCalculator(); var price = calculator.Calculate(...)
- Use dependency injection for external services: pass IEmailService, IInventoryService as constructor parameters
- Keep IDO-specific code (Context, Commands, SetPropertyValue) only in the thin IDO method wrapper
- Apply the Repository pattern for data access: mock repositories in tests, use real ones in IDO methods
Mocking the IDO Runtime for Unit Tests
When you need to test code that interacts with IDO runtime objects, create mock implementations of the IDO interfaces. Use a mocking framework like Moq or NSubstitute to create fake IDO context objects that return controlled test data. Build test fixtures that simulate LoadCollection responses, UpdateCollection inputs, and InvokeMethod parameters. This lets you test how your extension logic handles various data scenarios, error conditions, and edge cases without connecting to a live SyteLine server.
- Mock IDO context: var mockContext = new Mock<IIDOContext>(); mockContext.Setup(c => c.Commands.LoadDataSet(...)).Returns(testDataSet)
- Create test data factories: TestDataFactory.CreateCustomerOrder(status: "Open", lines: 5) returns preconfigured test data
- Test error scenarios: configure mocks to throw IDOException for database timeout simulation
- Validate output: Assert.Equal(expectedPrice, calculator.Calculate(testCustomer, testQty, testListPrice))
- Use InMemory database for integration tests that need actual SQL: SQLite or SQL Server LocalDB
Building a CI Pipeline for IDO Customizations
Integrate your IDO unit tests into a continuous integration pipeline to catch regressions automatically. Store your extension class projects in source control alongside their test projects. Configure your CI server (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions) to build the solution, run unit tests, and generate a test report on every commit. For integration tests that require database access, maintain a dedicated CI database with seed data that resets before each test run. Gate your deployment process: no DLL gets promoted to the IDO server unless all tests pass.
- Organize solution: src/MyExtension.csproj + tests/MyExtension.Tests.csproj in the same repository
- CI pipeline steps: Restore → Build → Unit Test → Integration Test → Package DLL → Archive Artifacts
- Use test categories: [Category("Unit")] for fast tests, [Category("Integration")] for database tests
- Gate deployment: CI status must be green before copying DLLs to IDOExtensionClasses folder
- Track test coverage: aim for 80%+ coverage on business logic classes, accept lower coverage on IDO wrappers
Netray AI agents can generate test scaffolding for your SyteLine extension classes, create mock objects, and build CI pipeline configurations. Start testing your ERP customizations with confidence.
Related Resources
SyteLine IDO Extension Methods Tutorial
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Debug SyteLine IDO errors effectively. Learn error categories, exception handling patterns, logging strategies, and diagnostic tools for Infor CloudSuite Industrial.
Infor SyteLineSyteLine Custom IDO Development Guide
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