python / python/cpython

Explain how to properly mock user-defined `__call__`

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Description

Bug report

Bug description:

Reproduce

from unittest.mock import MagicMock

class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        ...

    def __call__(self, b, c):
        ...

mocker = MagicMock(spec=A)
mocker(21, 42)
mocker.assert_called_once_with(21, 42)

Current Behavior

TypeError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
TypeError: too many positional arguments

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

AssertionError                            Traceback (most recent call last)
Cell In[6], line 10
      8 mocker = MagicMock(spec=A)
      9 mocker(21, 42)
---> 10 mocker.assert_called_once_with(21, 42)

File ~/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/lib/python3.12/unittest/mock.py:956, in NonCallableMock.assert_called_once_with(self, *args, **kwargs)
    951     msg = ("Expected '%s' to be called once. Called %s times.%s"
    952            % (self._mock_name or 'mock',
    953               self.call_count,
    954               self._calls_repr()))
    955     raise AssertionError(msg)
--> 956 return self.assert_called_with(*args, **kwargs)

File ~/.pyenv/versions/3.12.2/lib/python3.12/unittest/mock.py:944, in NonCallableMock.assert_called_with(self, *args, **kwargs)
    942 if actual != expected:
    943     cause = expected if isinstance(expected, Exception) else None
--> 944     raise AssertionError(_error_message()) from cause

AssertionError: expected call not found.
Expected: mock(21, 42)
  Actual: mock(21, 42)

Expected behaviour

It succeeds

Investigation

When passing a class that implements the __call__ method as spec to a mock instance it takes the it takes the signature of the __init__ which if it is the intended behavior is quite confusing.

CPython versions tested on:

3.12, 3.13

Operating systems tested on:

macOS, Linux

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the provided MagicMock reproducer on Python 3.12 or 3.13, then inspect unittest/mock.py around NonCallableMock.assert_called_with and the signature handling involved in spec=A. Compare the behavior for a class defining call with the current traceback. Done means the documented or implemented behavior makes the shown assertion succeed.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
testing-qa
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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