Mockito stubbing outside of the test method

Question

I have the following method outside the test method

private DynamicBuild getSkippedBuild() {
    DynamicBuild build = mock(DynamicBuild.class);
    when(build.isSkipped()).thenReturn(true);
    return build;
}

but when I call this method I get the following error

org.mockito.exceptions.misusing.UnfinishedStubbingException: 
Unfinished stubbing detected here:
-> at LINE BEING CALLED FROM

E.g. thenReturn() may be missing.
Examples of correct stubbing:
    when(mock.isOk()).thenReturn(true);
    when(mock.isOk()).thenThrow(exception);
    doThrow(exception).when(mock).someVoidMethod();
Hints:
 1. missing thenReturn()
 2. you are trying to stub a final method, you naughty developer!

Looks like mockito is not happy when you stub outside the test method. Is that not supported ?

EDIT: I can get this to work by doing the stubbing in @Test method but I want to reuse the stubbing across @Tests.

Answer 1

If isSkipped() is not a final method, this problem probably indicates that you try to stub a method while stubbing of another method is in progress. It's not supported because Mockito relies on order of method invocations (when(), etc) in its stubbing API.

I guess you have something like this in your test method:

when(...).thenReturn(getSkippedBuild());

If so, you need to rewrite it as follows:

DynamicBuild build = getSkippedBuild();
when(...).thenReturn(build);