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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/api/assert.md')
-rw-r--r-- | doc/api/assert.md | 37 |
1 files changed, 31 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/doc/api/assert.md b/doc/api/assert.md index d337a09b328..b1c7168e94c 100644 --- a/doc/api/assert.md +++ b/doc/api/assert.md @@ -691,17 +691,42 @@ assert.throws( Note that `error` can not be a string. If a string is provided as the second argument, then `error` is assumed to be omitted and the string will be used for -`message` instead. This can lead to easy-to-miss mistakes: +`message` instead. This can lead to easy-to-miss mistakes. Please read the +example below carefully if using a string as the second argument gets +considered: <!-- eslint-disable no-restricted-syntax --> ```js -// THIS IS A MISTAKE! DO NOT DO THIS! -assert.throws(myFunction, 'missing foo', 'did not throw with expected message'); - -// Do this instead. -assert.throws(myFunction, /missing foo/, 'did not throw with expected message'); +function throwingFirst() { + throw new Error('First'); +} +function throwingSecond() { + throw new Error('Second'); +} +function notThrowing() {} + +// The second argument is a string and the input function threw an Error. +// In that case both cases do not throw as neither is going to try to +// match for the error message thrown by the input function! +assert.throws(throwingFirst, 'Second'); +assert.throws(throwingSecond, 'Second'); + +// The string is only used (as message) in case the function does not throw: +assert.throws(notThrowing, 'Second'); +// AssertionError [ERR_ASSERTION]: Missing expected exception: Second + +// If it was intended to match for the error message do this instead: +assert.throws(throwingSecond, /Second$/); +// Does not throw because the error messages match. +assert.throws(throwingFirst, /Second$/); +// Throws a error: +// Error: First +// at throwingFirst (repl:2:9) ``` +Due to the confusing notation, it is recommended not to use a string as the +second argument. This might lead to difficult-to-spot errors. + ## Caveats For the following cases, consider using ES2015 [`Object.is()`][], |