phpunitHow to test private methods in PHPUnit?

Private methods can be tested in PHPUnit by using the ReflectionMethod class. This class allows access to private methods and properties of a class.

class MyClass
{
    private function privateMethod()
    {
        return 'privateMethod';
    }
}

$reflection = new ReflectionMethod('MyClass', 'privateMethod');
$reflection->setAccessible(true);
echo $reflection->invoke(new MyClass());

Output example

privateMethod

1. Create a new instance of the ReflectionMethod class, passing in the class name and method name as parameters.
2. Set the setAccessible method to true to allow access to the private method.
3. Invoke the method using the invoke method, passing in an instance of the class.

Helpful links

• PHP Documentation - ReflectionMethod
• PHPUnit Documentation - Testing Private Methods

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