Utilizing Local Files for Go Testing

When testing Go applications that require access to local files, the approach to handling these files is a crucial consideration. Here are the options and best practices for local file testing in Go:

• Creating Temporary Files: You can create temporary files just before running tests using ioutil functions. This ensures clean test execution by generating new files each time. However, you may need to manually delete these files after the tests are complete.
• Establishing a Dedicated Test Folder: Alternatively, you can create a dedicated test folder (e.g., testing/) that stores the necessary local files for testing. This folder is ignored by the go tool (as mentioned in go help packages), ensuring that it is not accidentally picked up in non-test contexts. This approach simplifies file management as you can easily access the files from within your tests.

In most cases, the second option is recommended as it provides a cleaner and more structured approach to local file testing in Go:

testing/...
|
|--test_files_here
|
|--main.go
|
`--main_test.go

You can then read the contents of the files located within the testing/... directory during your tests. This method simplifies maintenance and ensures that all files necessary for testing are conveniently accessible in a designated location.