"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." -- Morpheus, The Matrix (1999)
You've had tests pass in CI and then watched the thing they were supposedly testing break in production. You go back and look at the test, and it turns out the mock was wrong, or incomplete, or your production code was making a call the test didn't even know about. The green checkmark was meaningless.
This is what testing with unittest.mock is like. It gives you the tools to mock things, but it's entirely on you to remember to assert every call, verify every argument, and notice when production code starts making calls your tests don't account for. Most of the time, you won't. Not because you're careless, but because unittest.mock is designed around silence -- if you forget to check something, it has no way of telling you.
bigfoot replaces unittest.mock with mocking that actually enforces correctness.
pip install bigfoot[all]bigfoot intercepts every external call your code makes and enforces three rules that unittest.mock leaves entirely to you:
- Every call must be pre-authorized. Code makes a call with no registered mock?
UnmockedInteractionError, immediately. - Every recorded interaction must be explicitly asserted. Forget to assert an interaction?
UnassertedInteractionsErrorat teardown. - Every registered mock must actually be triggered. Register a mock that never fires?
UnusedMocksErrorat teardown.
# unittest.mock -- this test passes, but proves nothing
from unittest.mock import patch
@patch("myapp.payments.httpx.post")
def test_payment(mock_post):
mock_post.return_value.json.return_value = {"id": "ch_123"}
create_charge(5000)
# Forgot assert_called_with? Test passes.
# Called with wrong amount? Test passes.
# Added a second HTTP call? Test passes.
# bigfoot -- every interaction is accounted for
def test_payment():
bigfoot.http.mock_response("POST", "https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
json={"id": "ch_123"}, status=200)
with bigfoot:
result = create_charge(5000)
# MUST assert this or test fails at teardown
bigfoot.http.assert_request(
"POST", "https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
headers=IsInstance(dict), body='{"amount": 5000}',
).assert_response(200, IsInstance(dict), '{"id": "ch_123"}')
assert result["id"] == "ch_123"| Scenario | unittest.mock | bigfoot |
|---|---|---|
| Mocked function is never called | Passes silently | UnusedMocksError |
| Wrong arguments | Only caught if you add assert_called_with |
InteractionMismatchError |
| Real HTTP/DB/Redis call leaks through | Goes to production | UnmockedInteractionError |
| Forgot to assert a call | Passes silently | UnassertedInteractionsError |
MagicMock returns wrong type |
Auto-generates attributes forever | You declare explicit return values |
| Production code adds a new external call | Existing tests still pass | UnmockedInteractionError forces you to handle it |
Firewall mode is on by default. When your test session starts, bigfoot installs interceptors that catch any real I/O call happening outside a sandbox.
In "warn" mode (the default), accidental calls emit a GuardedCallWarning and proceed normally, so your existing suite keeps working while showing you exactly which calls are unguarded. Set guard = "error" under [tool.bigfoot] in your pyproject.toml for strict enforcement.
from bigfoot import M
# Selectively permit real calls within a scope
with bigfoot.allow("dns", "socket"):
...
# Or via marker for an entire test
@pytest.mark.allow("dns", "socket")
# Granular patterns
with bigfoot.allow(M(protocol="http", host="*.example.com")):
...
# Set a ceiling that inner blocks cannot widen
with bigfoot.restrict("http", "subprocess"):
...Configure project-wide allow/deny rules in [tool.bigfoot.firewall] in your pyproject.toml.
import bigfoot
from dirty_equals import IsInstance
def create_charge(amount):
"""Production code -- calls Stripe via httpx internally."""
import httpx
response = httpx.post("https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
json={"amount": amount})
return response.json()
def test_payment_flow():
bigfoot.http.mock_response("POST", "https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
json={"id": "ch_123"}, status=200)
with bigfoot:
result = create_charge(5000)
bigfoot.http.assert_request(
"POST", "https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
headers=IsInstance(dict), body='{"amount": 5000}',
).assert_response(200, IsInstance(dict), '{"id": "ch_123"}')
assert result["id"] == "ch_123"If you forget the assert_request() call, bigfoot fails the test at teardown:
E bigfoot._errors.UnassertedInteractionsError: 1 interaction was not asserted.
E
E http.assert_request(
E "POST",
E "https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges",
E headers={'host': 'api.stripe.com', ...},
E body='{"amount":5000}',
E require_response=True,
E ).assert_response(
E status=200,
E headers={'content-type': 'application/json'},
E body='{"id": "ch_123"}',
E )
E # ^ [sequence=0] [HttpPlugin] POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges (status=200)
The error output includes every field with its actual value, so you can usually just copy it directly into your test as the assertion.
- Register mocks before the sandbox (
mock_response,mock_run,returns, etc.) - Open the sandbox with
with bigfoot:(orasync with bigfoot:) - Code runs normally inside the sandbox, but external calls are intercepted and recorded
- Assert interactions after the sandbox closes, in order
verify_all()runs automatically at test teardown via the pytest plugin
Since bigfoot uses a module-level API, there are no fixtures to set up or inject. You just import it.
| unittest.mock | bigfoot equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
@patch("module.Class") |
bigfoot.mock("module:Class") |
Colon-separated import path |
@patch.object(obj, "attr") |
bigfoot.mock.object(obj, "attr") |
Same idea, stricter enforcement |
MagicMock() |
Plugin-specific mocks | mock_response, mock_run, mock_command, etc. |
mock.return_value = X |
.returns(X) |
Explicit, typed return values |
mock.side_effect = Exception |
mock_error(..., raises=Exception) |
Explicit error mocking |
mock.assert_called_with(...) |
plugin.assert_request(...) / spy.assert_call(...) |
Required, not optional |
mock.assert_not_called() |
Not needed | If it was not registered, it cannot be called |
call_args_list |
Interaction log | Automatic, exhaustive, shown on failure |
Patching an HTTP call
# BEFORE: unittest.mock
from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
@patch("myapp.client.requests.get")
def test_fetch_user(mock_get):
mock_get.return_value = MagicMock(
status_code=200,
json=MagicMock(return_value={"name": "Alice"}),
)
user = fetch_user(42)
mock_get.assert_called_once_with("https://api.example.com/users/42")
assert user["name"] == "Alice"
# AFTER: bigfoot
from dirty_equals import IsInstance
def test_fetch_user():
bigfoot.http.mock_response(
"GET", "https://api.example.com/users/42",
json={"name": "Alice"}, status=200,
)
with bigfoot:
user = fetch_user(42)
bigfoot.http.assert_request(
"GET", "https://api.example.com/users/42",
headers=IsInstance(dict), body=None,
).assert_response(200, IsInstance(dict), '{"name": "Alice"}')
assert user["name"] == "Alice"Patching a subprocess call
# BEFORE: unittest.mock
from unittest.mock import patch
@patch("myapp.deploy.subprocess.run")
def test_deploy(mock_run):
mock_run.return_value.returncode = 0
mock_run.return_value.stdout = "deployed"
result = deploy("prod")
mock_run.assert_called_once()
# AFTER: bigfoot
def test_deploy():
bigfoot.subprocess_mock.mock_run(
["kubectl", "apply", "-f", "prod.yaml"],
returncode=0, stdout="deployed",
)
with bigfoot:
result = deploy("prod")
bigfoot.subprocess_mock.assert_run(
["kubectl", "apply", "-f", "prod.yaml"],
returncode=0, stdout="deployed",
)Patching an arbitrary object
# BEFORE: unittest.mock
from unittest.mock import patch
@patch("myapp.services.cache")
def test_cached_lookup(mock_cache):
mock_cache.get.return_value = "cached_value"
result = lookup("key")
mock_cache.get.assert_called_once_with("key")
# AFTER: bigfoot
def test_cached_lookup():
cache_mock = bigfoot.mock("myapp.services:cache")
cache_mock.get.returns("cached_value")
with bigfoot:
result = lookup("key")
cache_mock.get.assert_call(args=("key",), kwargs={}, returned="cached_value")You do not have to migrate your entire test suite at once. bigfoot and unittest.mock can coexist in the same project:
- Start with guard mode. Install bigfoot and run your suite. Guard mode (default
"warn") will show you every real I/O call across all tests without breaking anything. - Migrate test by test. Pick tests that touch HTTP, subprocess, or database calls first -- these benefit most from bigfoot's strict enforcement.
- Escalate to strict guard mode. Once coverage is high, set
guard = "error"inpyproject.tomlto catch any remaining leaks.
bigfoot ships with 27 plugins covering the most common external dependencies:
| Category | Plugins | Intercepts |
|---|---|---|
| General | MockPlugin, LoggingPlugin | Named mock proxies, logging module |
| HTTP | HttpPlugin | httpx, requests, urllib, aiohttp |
| Subprocess | SubprocessPlugin, PopenPlugin, AsyncSubprocessPlugin | subprocess.run, shutil.which, Popen, asyncio.create_subprocess_* |
| Database | DatabasePlugin, Psycopg2Plugin, AsyncpgPlugin, MongoPlugin, ElasticsearchPlugin | sqlite3, psycopg2, asyncpg, pymongo, elasticsearch |
| Cache | RedisPlugin, MemcachePlugin | redis, pymemcache |
| Network | SmtpPlugin, SocketPlugin, WebSocket, DnsPlugin, SshPlugin, GrpcPlugin | smtplib, socket, websockets, websocket-client, DNS resolution, paramiko, grpcio |
| Cloud & Messaging | Boto3Plugin, CeleryPlugin, PikaPlugin | boto3 (AWS), celery tasks, pika (RabbitMQ) |
| Crypto & Auth | JwtPlugin, CryptoPlugin | PyJWT, cryptography |
| System | FileIoPlugin, NativePlugin | open, pathlib, os; ctypes, cffi |
Plugin examples
Subprocess
bigfoot.subprocess_mock.mock_run(["git", "pull"], returncode=0, stdout="Up to date.\n")Database (sqlite3)
bigfoot.db_mock.new_session() \
.expect("connect", returns=None) \
.expect("execute", returns=[]) \
.expect("commit", returns=None) \
.expect("close", returns=None)Redis
bigfoot.redis_mock.mock_command("GET", returns=b"cached_value")MongoDB
bigfoot.mongo_mock.mock_operation("find_one", returns={"_id": "abc", "name": "Alice"})AWS (boto3)
bigfoot.boto3_mock.mock_api_call("s3", "GetObject", returns={"Body": b"file contents"})RabbitMQ (pika)
bigfoot.pika_mock.new_session() \
.expect("connect", returns=None) \
.expect("channel", returns=None) \
.expect("publish", returns=None) \
.expect("close", returns=None)SSH (paramiko)
bigfoot.ssh_mock.new_session() \
.expect("connect", returns=None) \
.expect("exec_command", returns=(b"", b"output\n", b"")) \
.expect("close", returns=None)SMTP
bigfoot.smtp_mock.new_session() \
.expect("connect", returns=(220, b"OK")) \
.expect("ehlo", returns=(250, b"OK")) \
.expect("sendmail", returns={}) \
.expect("quit", returns=(221, b"Bye"))Logging
bigfoot.log_mock.assert_info("User logged in", "myapp")Mock (general)
svc = bigfoot.mock("myapp.payments:PaymentService")
svc.charge.returns({"status": "ok"})Concurrent assertions -- relax FIFO ordering for parallel requests:
with bigfoot.in_any_order():
bigfoot.http.assert_request(method="GET", url=".../a", headers=IsInstance(dict), body=None,
require_response=False)
bigfoot.http.assert_request(method="GET", url=".../b", headers=IsInstance(dict), body=None,
require_response=False)Mock / spy -- composable mocks with import-site patching:
# Mock a module-level attribute
cache_mock = bigfoot.mock("myapp.services:cache")
cache_mock.get.returns("cached_value")
# Mock an attribute on a specific object
mock = bigfoot.mock.object(my_module, "service")
# Spy on real implementation
spy = bigfoot.spy("myapp.services:cache")Context managers -- sandbox activates all mocks and enforces assertions:
# Sandbox activates all mocks, enforces assertions
with bigfoot.sandbox():
result = code_under_test()
# Individual activation (no assertion enforcement)
with cache_mock:
setup_code()Error mocking -- mock exceptions and assert error interactions:
# Mock errors
bigfoot.http.mock_error("GET", url, raises=httpx.ConnectError("refused"))
# Assert errors
bigfoot.http.assert_request("GET", url, headers=..., body="",
raised=IsInstance(httpx.ConnectError))Spy observability -- assert return values and raised exceptions:
spy.assert_call(args=("key",), kwargs={}, returned="value")
spy.assert_call(args=("bad",), kwargs={}, raised=IsInstance(KeyError))Pass-through -- delegate to the real service, still record and require assertion:
bigfoot.http.pass_through("GET", url)Configuration via pyproject.toml:
[tool.bigfoot.http]
require_response = true # This is the default; set to false to opt outPer-call arguments override project-level settings. See the configuration guide.
bigfoot[all] installs everything. For a smaller footprint, pick only what you need:
pip install bigfoot # Core plugins (no optional deps)
pip install bigfoot[http] # + httpx, requests, urllib
pip install bigfoot[aiohttp] # + aiohttp
pip install bigfoot[redis] # + Redis
pip install bigfoot[pymemcache] # + Memcached
pip install bigfoot[pymongo] # + MongoDB
pip install bigfoot[elasticsearch] # + Elasticsearch/OpenSearch
pip install bigfoot[psycopg2] # + PostgreSQL (psycopg2)
pip install bigfoot[asyncpg] # + PostgreSQL (asyncpg)
pip install bigfoot[boto3] # + AWS SDK
pip install bigfoot[pika] # + RabbitMQ
pip install bigfoot[celery] # + Celery tasks
pip install bigfoot[grpc] # + gRPC
pip install bigfoot[paramiko] # + SSH
pip install bigfoot[jwt] # + PyJWT
pip install bigfoot[crypto] # + cryptography
pip install bigfoot[cffi] # + cffi (C FFI)
pip install bigfoot[websockets] # + async WebSocket
pip install bigfoot[websocket-client] # + sync WebSocket
pip install bigfoot[matchers] # + dirty-equals matchersFull API reference, plugin guides, and advanced usage: axiomantic.github.io/bigfoot
MIT