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c#.netmockingrhino-mocksmoq

What are the real-world pros and cons of each of the major mocking frameworks?

see also "What should I consider when choosing a mocking framework for .Net"

I'm trying to decide on a mocking framework to use on a .NET project I've recently embarked on. I'd like to speed my research on the different frameworks. I've recently read this blog post http://codevanced.net/post/Mocking-frameworks-comparison.aspx and wondered if any of the StackOverflow audience has anything to add in the way of real-world advantages and caveats to the frameworks.

Could people could list the pros/cons of the mocking frameworks they either currently use or have investigated for their own use on .NET projects. I think this would be not only a help to me to decide for my current project, but it will help others make more informed decisions when picking the correct framework for their situation. I'm not an expert on any of the frameworks but I would like to get arguments for and against the major frameworks I've come across:

  • RhinoMocks
  • Moq
  • TypeMock Isolator
  • NMock
  • Moles

And other usable alternatives that I've missed. I'd also like insights from users that have switched or stopped using products because of issues.

Solution

  • I don't know Moles at all, but I'll cover the ones I know a bit about (I really need a table for this, though).

    Moq

    Pros

    • Type-safe
    • Consistent interface
    • Encourages good design

    Cons

    • Not as full-featured as some of its competitors
      • It can't mock delegates
      • It can't do ordered expectations
      • probably other things I can't think of right now...
    • Can only mock interfaces and virtual/abstract members

    Rhino Mocks

    Pros

    • Type-safe
    • Full feature set
    • Encourages good design

    Cons

    • Confusing API. There are too many different ways to do the same things, and if you combine them in the wrong way it just doesn't work.
    • Can only mock interfaces and virtual/abstract members

    TypeMock Isolator

    Pros

    • Type-safe (AFAIR)
    • Can mock anything

    Cons

    • Very invasive
    • Potential Vendor Lock-In
    • Does not encourage good design

    NMock

    Pros

    • Encourages good design
    • Works on any version of .NET (even 1.1)

    Cons

    • Not type-safe
    • Can only mock interfaces and virtual/abstract members

    Please note that particularly the advantages and disadvantages regarding TypeMock are highly controversial. I published my own take on the matter on my blog.

    I started out with NMock when that was the only option back in 2003, then migrated to Rhino Mocks because of its type safety, and now use Moq because of the simpler API.