Stop routing GenerateRandomCode20 as compliant for shorter fields

al-testing-review.md's cue presented GenerateRandomCodeWithLength and
GenerateRandomCode20 as interchangeable options for "a shorter field
needing real verified uniqueness." They aren't: verified against
LibraryUtility.Codeunit.al, GenerateRandomCode20 truncates
GenerateGUID()'s sequential value down to the target field's length by
keeping the leftmost (slowest-changing) characters via PadStr, so its
retry loop against a field shorter than 20 can churn through the same
truncated prefix for a long time. GenerateRandomCodeWithLength has no
such problem (it generates exactly the requested length of random
text). The knowledge article itself already scoped GenerateRandomCode20
to Code[20] correctly - only the skill cue needed narrowing to match.
This commit is contained in:
Michael Dieringer 2026-09-22 14:29:51 +02:00
parent db9c0f275a
commit 80cf96557f

View file

@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ The following targeted checks cover every current `testing` article. Treat each
- A permission-sensitive test uses `TestPermissions = Disabled`, claims to test a restricted user without `"Permissions Mock"`/`"Library - Lower Permissions"`, or declares `[TestPermissions(...)]` without applying that context — `permission-tests-must-lower-the-execution-context`.
- Test fixture code manually calls `Init`/`Insert`, invents keys or prerequisite records, or bypasses available `LibrarySales`, `LibraryPurchase`, `LibraryERM`, `LibraryInventory`, `LibraryRandom`, or equivalent library codeunits — `use-library-codeunits-for-test-fixtures`.
- `asserterror` is added or changed without a following `Assert.ExpectedError`, `Assert.ExpectedErrorCode`, or a purpose-built assertion such as `ExpectedTestFieldError` — `asserterror-needs-expectederror-and-code`.
- Test fixture code assigns a hardcoded literal to a primary-key field or a field the test relies on as a unique lookup identifier, hand-builds a "unique" value for such a field (string concatenation, a counter, `Format(CurrentDateTime)`), or truncates `LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()`'s result with `CopyStr` for such a field shorter than 10 characters — `use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values`. Calling `GenerateGUID()` untruncated into a full-length field, or `GenerateRandomCodeWithLength`/`GenerateRandomCode20` for a shorter field needing real verified uniqueness, is the compliant shape, not the signal to flag. A hardcoded or deterministic value in an ordinary descriptive field is not this anti-pattern — that field carries no uniqueness constraint. Do not claim `GenerateRandomCode` (without `WithLength`/`20`) or `GenerateRandomXMLText` verify uniqueness against the real table, or that `GenerateRandomCode` is collision-free even within one test run for a short field — none of that is true.
- Test fixture code assigns a hardcoded literal to a primary-key field or a field the test relies on as a unique lookup identifier, hand-builds a "unique" value for such a field (string concatenation, a counter, `Format(CurrentDateTime)`), or truncates `LibraryUtility.GenerateGUID()`'s result with `CopyStr` for such a field shorter than 10 characters — `use-generateguid-for-unique-test-fixture-values`. Calling `GenerateGUID()` untruncated into a full-length field, `GenerateRandomCodeWithLength` for a shorter field needing real verified uniqueness, or `GenerateRandomCode20` specifically for a `Code[20]` field, is the compliant shape, not the signal to flag. `GenerateRandomCode20` is not a substitute for `GenerateRandomCodeWithLength` on a shorter field — it truncates `GenerateGUID()`'s sequential value down to the field's length by keeping the *leftmost* characters, which change the slowest, so retries against a short field can churn through the same truncated prefix far longer than `GenerateRandomCodeWithLength`'s equivalent. A hardcoded or deterministic value in an ordinary descriptive field is not this anti-pattern — that field carries no uniqueness constraint. Do not claim `GenerateRandomCode` (without `WithLength`/`20`) or `GenerateRandomXMLText` verify uniqueness against the real table, or that `GenerateRandomCode` is collision-free even within one test run for a short field — none of that is true.
- A test asserts against a `TestPage` field's `.Visible()` or `.Enabled()` — `use-testpage-visible-enabled-to-verify-field-ui-state`. When the assertion is against `.Editable()`, or the page is opened with `OpenEdit()` specifically to check editability — `use-testpage-editable-to-verify-field-editability`.
- A test path raises UI and `[HandlerFunctions(...)]` does not match the invoked handlers, or the test has no meaningful evidence of the UI result (for example, it treats a Boolean set before the action as proof of success) — `ui-handlers-in-tests`. A capture/reset/assert-after-`RunModal` pattern is valid. Enqueue/dequeue and `AssertEmpty` are required only when order, count, text, replies, or a scripted sequence is part of the contract. Only nonoptional handlers have to execute: a listed handler declared `[SendNotificationHandler(true)]` or `[RecallNotificationHandler(true)]` is optional by design, so do not treat it as unmatched when the run never raises the notification.