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How to write a basic test in Jest?

Here is a simple example of a basic unit test in Jest.


1. There is a regular function

sum.js:

js
function sum(a, b) { return a + b; } module.exports = sum;

2. Write the test

sum.test.js:

js
const sum = require("./sum"); test("correctly adds two numbers", () => { expect(sum(2, 3)).toBe(5); });

3. Running the test

The package.json should have a script:

json
{ "scripts": { "test": "jest" } }

Then in the terminal:

javascript
npm test

What's happening here

  • test(...) - describes the check
  • expect(...) - takes the actual result of the function
  • toBe(...) - compares it with the expected value

If sum(2, 3) returns 5, the test passes. If it returns anything else, Jest shows an error and points out where the mismatch is.


That is a basic test: function → expected result → comparison.

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