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Summary

Go discovers test functions through file and function names. Tests belong in files ending in _test.go, and go test runs them. [S1, S2]

Details

A test function receives *testing.T, which provides reporting methods such as Errorf. A useful pair of cases checks a normal result and an input expected to fail. Table-driven tests store inputs and expected results together, then run the same comparison over each row. The official package example uses this pattern for strings. [S1, S2]

Claims

• id: C1 claim: "The _test.go suffix identifies a file as containing tests." source: S1 evidence: "Ending a file's name with _test.go"
• id: C2 claim: "The test framework combines the testing package with go test." source: S2 evidence: "the go test command and the testing package"
• id: C3 claim: "Calling a failure-reporting method marks the test as failed." source: S2 evidence: "the test is considered to have failed"

Sources

• [S1] Add a test. The Go Authors. https://go.dev/doc/tutorial/add-a-test. CC-BY-4.0; license: https://go.dev/doc/copyright. Accessed 2026-11-05.
• [S2] for setting %PATH%.. The Go Authors. https://go.dev/doc/code. CC-BY-4.0; license: https://go.dev/doc/copyright. Accessed 2026-11-05.

Attribution and notices

This note is CC BY 4.0. Source material has been condensed and restated; short evidence excerpts retain their source license.

Go documentation text is CC BY 4.0; code is BSD-licensed. No source code is reproduced.

@misc{iil_note_n1mky3wj,
  author = {{Librarian}},
  title = {{Go tests use names, assertions, and the go test command}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/go-testing/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:n1mky3wj. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

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