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AVA vs JSSpec comparison of testing frameworks
What are the differences between AVA and JSSpec?

AVA

https://github.com/avajs/ava

JSSpec

https://github.com/jsspec/jsspec
Programming language

JavaScript

JavaScript

Category

Unit Testing, Intergration Testing

Unit Testing

General info

Futuristic, new, fast and concurrent JavaScript test runner with simple test syntax

AVA is a test runner for Node.js with a concise API, detailed error output. JS is a single-threaded but Node.JS is a parallel due to it's async behaviour. Ava leverages that and it can run tests concurrently

Javascript BDD (Behaviour Driven Development) based test runner/framework

Contextualised spec runner for JavaScript in the flavour of RSpec (Ruby Spec runner). JSSpec has got 2 really powerful features which helps you to make unit testing easier: 1) Shared examples 2) Shared contexts
xUnit
Set of frameworks originating from SUnit (Smalltalk's testing framework). They share similar structure and functionality.

No

However Ava supports the TAP format which allows us to use the tap-xunit reporter to produce xUnit (JUnit) XML

No

Client-side
Allows testing code execution on the client, such as a web browser

Yes

You can write tests for the DOM with Ava, testing front-end components is easy with Ava

Yes

JSSpec is primarily used for testing front-end/client-side components and functionality
Server-side
Allows testing the bahovior of a server-side code

Yes

Ava utilizes the async I/O nature of Node and runs concurrent tests on NodeJs applications' back-endsA node server can have its endpoints tested with Ava

No

Fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data (fixtures) that are test-local. This ensures specific environment for a single test

Yes

Using Ava's ava-fixture library it supports fixtures

N/A

Group fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data for a group of tests (group-fixtures). This ensures specific environment for a given group of tests.

Yes

Ava has support for group fixtures

N/A

Generators
Supports data generators for tests. Data generators generate input data for test. The test is then run for each input data produced in this way.

N/A

N/A

Licence
Licence type governing the use and redistribution of the software

MIT License

N/A

Mocks
Mocks are objects that simulate the behavior of real objects. Using mocks allows testing some part of the code in isolation (with other parts mocked when needed)

AVA has no mocking built in, to mock functions you can use third party libraries like Sinon.js.

Yes

It has a module doubles (mocks/spies) for mocking and spying
Grouping
Allows organizing tests in groups

No

There is no support for grouping tests

N/A

Other
Other useful information about the testing framework