---
id: 'pgtap'
title: 'pgTAP: Unit Testing'
description: 'Unit testing in PostgreSQL.'
---

`pgTAP` is a unit testing extension for Postgres.

## Overview

Let's cover some basic concepts:

- Unit tests: allow you to test small parts of a system (like a database table!).
- TAP: stands for [Test Anything Protocol](http://testanything.org/). It is an framework which aims to simplify the error reporting during testing.

## Enable the extension

<Tabs
  scrollable
  size="small"
  type="underlined"
  defaultActiveId="dashboard"
  queryGroup="database-method"
>
<TabPanel id="dashboard" label="Dashboard">

1. Go to the [Database](/dashboard/project/_/database/tables) page in the Dashboard.
2. Click on **Extensions** in the sidebar.
3. Search for `pgtap` and enable the extension.

</TabPanel>
<TabPanel id="sql" label="SQL">

```sql
-- Enable the "pgtap" extension
create extension pgtap with schema extensions;

-- Disable the "pgtap" extension
drop extension if exists pgtap;
```

Even though the SQL code is `create extension`, this is the equivalent of enabling the extension.
To disable an extension you can call `drop extension`.

It's good practice to create the extension within a separate schema (like `extensions`) to keep the `public` schema clean.

</TabPanel>
</Tabs>

## Testing tables

```sql
begin;
select plan( 1 );

select has_table( 'profiles' );

select * from finish();
rollback;
```

API:

- [`has_table()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#has_table): Tests whether or not a table exists in the database
- [`has_index()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#has_index): Checks for the existence of a named index associated with the named table.
- [`has_relation()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#has_relation): Tests whether or not a relation exists in the database.

## Testing columns

```sql
begin;
select plan( 2 );

select has_column( 'profiles', 'id' ); -- test that the "id" column exists in the "profiles" table
select col_is_pk( 'profiles', 'id' ); -- test that the "id" column is a primary key

select * from finish();
rollback;
```

API:

- [`has_column()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#has_column): Tests whether or not a column exists in a given table, view, materialized view or composite type.
- [`col_is_pk()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#col_is_pk): Tests whether the specified column or columns in a table is/are the primary key for that table.

## Testing RLS policies

```sql
begin;
select plan( 1 );

select policies_are(
  'public',
  'profiles',
  ARRAY [
    'Profiles are public', -- Test that there is a policy called  "Profiles are public" on the "profiles" table.
    'Profiles can only be updated by the owner'  -- Test that there is a policy called  "Profiles can only be updated by the owner" on the "profiles" table.
  ]
);

select * from finish();
rollback;
```

API:

- [`policies_are()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#policies_are): Tests that all of the policies on the named table are only the policies that should be on that table.
- [`policy_roles_are()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#policy_roles_are): Tests whether the roles to which policy applies are only the roles that should be on that policy.
- [`policy_cmd_is()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#policy_cmd_is): Tests whether the command to which policy applies is same as command that is given in function arguments.

You can also use the `results_eq()` method to test that a Policy returns the correct data:

```sql
begin;
select plan( 1 );

select results_eq(
    'select * from profiles()',
    $$VALUES ( 1, 'Anna'), (2, 'Bruce'), (3, 'Caryn')$$,
    'profiles() should return all users'
);


select * from finish();
rollback;
```

API:

- [`results_eq()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#results_eq)
- [`results_ne()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#results_ne)

## Testing functions

```sql
prepare hello_expr as select 'hello'

begin;
select plan(3);
-- You'll need to create a hello_world and is_even function
select function_returns( 'hello_world', 'text' );                   -- test if the function "hello_world" returns text
select function_returns( 'is_even', ARRAY['integer'], 'boolean' );  -- test if the function "is_even" returns a boolean
select results_eq('select * from hello_world()', 'hello_expr');          -- test if the function "hello_world" returns "hello"

select * from finish();
rollback;
```

API:

- [`function_returns()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#function_returns): Tests that a particular function returns a particular data type
- [`is_definer()`](https://pgtap.org/documentation.html#is_definer): Tests that a function is a security definer (that is, a `setuid` function).

## Resources

- Official [`pgTAP` documentation](https://pgtap.org/)
