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SetUpAttribute (NUnit 2.0 / 2.5)

This attribute is used inside a TestFixture to provide a common set of functions that are performed just before each test method is called. It is also used inside a SetUpFixture, where it provides the same functionality at the level of a namespace or assembly.

Before NUnit 2.5, a class could have only one SetUp method and it was required to be an instance method.

Beginning with NUnit 2.5, SetUp methods may be either static or instance methods and you may define more than one of them in a fixture. Normally, multiple SetUp methods are only defined at different levels of an inheritance hierarchy, as explained below.

If a SetUp method fails or throws an exception, the test is not executed and a failure or error is reported.

Example:

Language Filter 
namespace NUnit.Tests
{
  using System;
  using NUnit.Framework;

  [TestFixture]
  public class SuccessTests
  {
    [SetUp] public void Init()
    { /* ... */ }

    [TearDown] public void Cleanup()
    { /* ... */ }

    [Test] public void Add()
    { /* ... */ }
  }
}

Imports System
Imports Nunit.Framework

Namespace Nunit.Tests

  <TestFixture()> Public Class SuccessTests
    <SetUp()> Public Sub Init()
    ' ...
    End Sub

    <TearDown()> Public Sub Cleanup()
    ' ...
    End Sub

    <Test()> Public Sub Add()
    ' ...
    End Sub
  End Class
End Namespace

#using <Nunit.Framework.dll>
using namespace System;
using namespace NUnit::Framework;

namespace NUnitTests
{
  [TestFixture]
  public __gc class SuccessTests
  {
    [SetUp] void Init();
    [TearDown] void Cleanup();

    [Test] void Add();
  };
}

#include "cppsample.h"

namespace NUnitTests {
  // ...
}

package NUnit.Tests;

import System.*;
import NUnit.Framework.TestFixture;


/** @attribute NUnit.Framework.TestFixture() */
public class SuccessTests
{
  /** @attribute NUnit.Framework.SetUp() */
  public void Init()
  { /* ... */ }

  /** @attribute NUnit.Framework.TearDown() */
  public void Cleanup()
  { /* ... */ }

  /** @attribute NUnit.Framework.Test() */
  public void Add()
  { /* ... */ }
}

Inheritance

The SetUp attribute is inherited from any base class. Therefore, if a base class has defined a SetUp method, that method will be called before each test method in the derived class.

Before NUnit 2.5, you were permitted only one SetUp method. If you wanted to have some SetUp functionality in the base class and add more in the derived class you needed to call the base class method yourself.

With NUnit 2.5, you can achieve the same result by defining a SetUp method in the base class and another in the derived class. NUnit will call base class SetUp methods before those in the derived classes.

Note: Although it is possible to define multiple SetUp methods in the same class, you should rarely do so. Unlike methods defined in separate classes in the inheritance hierarchy, the order in which they are executed is not guaranteed.

See also...