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Effective R Package Testing Strategies

Best practices for testing R packages using testthat, including unit tests, integration tests, and continuous integration setup.

RTestingPackage Development

Introduction

Robust testing is crucial for maintaining reliable R packages. This guide covers essential testing strategies using testthat and continuous integration.

Writing Effective Tests

R
# tests/testthat/test-calculations.R
test_that("mean calculation handles NA values correctly", {
  x <- c(1, 2, NA, 4, 5)
  expect_equal(
    calculate_mean(x, na.rm = TRUE),
    mean(x, na.rm = TRUE)
  )
  expect_warning(
    calculate_mean(x, na.rm = FALSE),
    "NA values present"
  )
})

Continuous Integration

Learn how to set up GitHub Actions for automated testing across different R versions and operating systems.

Resources