Django test RequestFactory vs Client

Question

I am trying to decide whether I should use Django's Client or RequestFactory to test my views.

I am creating my server using DjangoRESTFramework and it's really simple, so far:

class SimpleModelList(generics.ListCreateAPIView):
    """
    Retrieve list of all route_areas or create a new one.
    """
    queryset = SimpleModel.objects.all()
    serializer_class = SimpleModelSerializer
    filter_backends = (IsOwnerFilterBackend,)

    def perform_create(self, serializer):
        serializer.save(owner=self.request.user)

What are the differences between testing with Django's Client and RequestFactory and which approach is more suited for testing a REST server (if there is any difference besides liking one better)?

Should I create tests with both so as to provide a better coverage for my system?

Answer 1

RequestFactory and Client have some very different use-cases. To put it in a single sentence: RequestFactory returns a request, while Client returns a response.

The RequestFactory does what it says - it's a factory to create request objects. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Client is used to fake a complete request-response cycle. It will create a request object, which it then passes through a WSGI handler. This handler resolves the url, calls the appropriate middleware, and runs the view. It then returns the response object. It has the added benefit that it gathers a lot of extra data on the response object that is extremely useful for testing.

The RequestFactory doesn't actually touch any of your code, but the request object can be used to test parts of your code that require a valid request. The Client runs your views, so in order to test your views, you need to use the Client and inspect the response. Be sure to check out the documentation on the Client.