config-testsuites.md

title	Organize Tests in Named Suites
impact	MEDIUM
impactDescription	Selective test execution by category
tags	configuration, testsuites, organization, xml

Organize Tests in Named Suites

Impact: MEDIUM (selective test execution by category)

Define named test suites in phpunit.xml to organize tests by type (unit, integration, functional). This allows running specific subsets: phpunit --testsuite unit runs only fast unit tests, perfect for pre-commit hooks.

Separate directories for each suite type enforce clear boundaries.

Incorrect (single testsuite, everything runs together):

<!-- phpunit.xml -->
<phpunit>
    <testsuites>
        <testsuite name="default">
            <directory>tests</directory>
        </testsuite>
    </testsuites>
</phpunit>

Correct (named suites by test type):

<!-- phpunit.xml -->
<phpunit>
    <testsuites>
        <testsuite name="unit">
            <directory>tests/Unit</directory>
        </testsuite>
        <testsuite name="integration">
            <directory>tests/Integration</directory>
        </testsuite>
        <testsuite name="functional">
            <directory>tests/Functional</directory>
        </testsuite>
    </testsuites>
</phpunit>

Usage:

# Run only unit tests (fast, for pre-commit)
phpunit --testsuite unit

# Run integration tests
phpunit --testsuite integration

# Run everything
phpunit