Unit Test Application Events

---
name: unit-test-application-events
description: Testing Spring application events (ApplicationEvent) with @EventListener and ApplicationEventPublisher. Test event publishing, listening, and async event handling in Spring Boot applications. Use when validating event-driven workflows in your Spring Boot services.
category: testing
tags: [junit-5, application-events, event-driven, listeners, publishers]
version: 1.0.1
---

# Unit Testing Application Events

Test Spring ApplicationEvent publishers and event listeners using JUnit 5. Verify event publishing, listener execution, and event propagation without full context startup.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Testing ApplicationEventPublisher event publishing
- Testing @EventListener method invocation
- Verifying event listener logic and side effects
- Testing event propagation through listeners
- Want fast event-driven architecture tests
- Testing both synchronous and asynchronous event handling

## Setup: Event Testing

### Maven
```xml
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
  <artifactId>junit-jupiter</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
  <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
  <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
  <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
  <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
```

### Gradle
```kotlin
dependencies {
  implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter")
  testImplementation("org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter")
  testImplementation("org.mockito:mockito-core")
  testImplementation("org.assertj:assertj-core")
}
```

## Basic Pattern: Event Publishing and Listening

### Custom Event and Publisher

```java
// Custom application event
public class UserCreatedEvent extends ApplicationEvent {
  private final User user;

  public UserCreatedEvent(Object source, User user) {
    super(source);
    this.user = user;
  }

  public User getUser() {
    return user;
  }
}

// Service that publishes events
@Service
public class UserService {

  private final ApplicationEventPublisher eventPublisher;
  private final UserRepository userRepository;

  public UserService(ApplicationEventPublisher eventPublisher, UserRepository userRepository) {
    this.eventPublisher = eventPublisher;
    this.userRepository = userRepository;
  }

  public User createUser(String name, String email) {
    User user = new User(name, email);
    User savedUser = userRepository.save(user);
    
    eventPublisher.publishEvent(new UserCreatedEvent(this, savedUser));
    
    return savedUser;
  }
}

// Unit test
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
import org.mockito.InjectMocks;
import org.mockito.Mock;
import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoExtension;
import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.*;
import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;

@ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class)
class UserServiceEventTest {

  @Mock
  private ApplicationEventPublisher eventPublisher;

  @Mock
  private UserRepository userRepository;

  @InjectMocks
  private UserService userService;

  @Test
  void shouldPublishUserCreatedEvent() {
    User newUser = new User(1L, "Alice", "alice@example.com");
    when(userRepository.save(any(User.class))).thenReturn(newUser);

    ArgumentCaptor<UserCreatedEvent> eventCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(UserCreatedEvent.class);

    userService.createUser("Alice", "alice@example.com");

    verify(eventPublisher).publishEvent(eventCaptor.capture());
    
    UserCreatedEvent capturedEvent = eventCaptor.getValue();
    assertThat(capturedEvent.getUser()).isEqualTo(newUser);
  }
}
```

## Testing Event Listeners

### @EventListener Annotation

```java
// Event listener
@Component
public class UserEventListener {

  private final EmailService emailService;

  public UserEventListener(EmailService emailService) {
    this.emailService = emailService;
  }

  @EventListener
  public void onUserCreated(UserCreatedEvent event) {
    User user = event.getUser();
    emailService.sendWelcomeEmail(user.getEmail());
  }
}

// Unit test for listener
class UserEventListenerTest {

  @Test
  void shouldSendWelcomeEmailWhenUserCreated() {
    EmailService emailService = mock(EmailService.class);
    UserEventListener listener = new UserEventListener(emailService);

    User newUser = new User(1L, "Alice", "alice@example.com");
    UserCreatedEvent event = new UserCreatedEvent(this, newUser);

    listener.onUserCreated(event);

    verify(emailService).sendWelcomeEmail("alice@example.com");
  }

  @Test
  void shouldNotThrowExceptionWhenEmailServiceFails() {
    EmailService emailService = mock(EmailService.class);
    doThrow(new RuntimeException("Email service down"))
      .when(emailService).sendWelcomeEmail(any());

    UserEventListener listener = new UserEventListener(emailService);
    User newUser = new User(1L, "Alice", "alice@example.com");
    UserCreatedEvent event = new UserCreatedEvent(this, newUser);

    // Should handle exception gracefully
    assertThatCode(() -> listener.onUserCreated(event))
      .doesNotThrowAnyException();
  }
}
```

## Testing Multiple Listeners

### Event Propagation

```java
class UserCreatedEvent extends ApplicationEvent {
  private final User user;
  private final List<String> notifications = new ArrayList<>();

  public UserCreatedEvent(Object source, User user) {
    super(source);
    this.user = user;
  }

  public void addNotification(String notification) {
    notifications.add(notification);
  }

  public List<String> getNotifications() {
    return notifications;
  }
}

class MultiListenerTest {

  @Test
  void shouldNotifyMultipleListenersSequentially() {
    EmailService emailService = mock(EmailService.class);
    NotificationService notificationService = mock(NotificationService.class);
    AnalyticsService analyticsService = mock(AnalyticsService.class);

    UserEventListener emailListener = new UserEventListener(emailService);
    UserEventListener notificationListener = new UserEventListener(notificationService);
    UserEventListener analyticsListener = new UserEventListener(analyticsService);

    User user = new User(1L, "Alice", "alice@example.com");
    UserCreatedEvent event = new UserCreatedEvent(this, user);

    emailListener.onUserCreated(event);
    notificationListener.onUserCreated(event);
    analyticsListener.onUserCreated(event);

    verify(emailService).send(any());
    verify(notificationService).notify(any());
    verify(analyticsService).track(any());
  }
}
```

## Testing Conditional Event Listeners

### @EventListener with Condition

```java
@Component
public class ConditionalEventListener {

  @EventListener(condition = "#event.user.age > 18")
  public void onAdultUserCreated(UserCreatedEvent event) {
    // Handle adult user
  }
}

class ConditionalListenerTest {

  @Test
  void shouldProcessEventWhenConditionMatches() {
    // Test logic for matching condition
  }

  @Test
  void shouldSkipEventWhenConditionDoesNotMatch() {
    // Test logic for non-matching condition
  }
}
```

## Testing Async Event Listeners

### @Async with @EventListener

```java
@Component
public class AsyncEventListener {

  private final SlowService slowService;

  @EventListener
  @Async
  public void onUserCreatedAsync(UserCreatedEvent event) {
    slowService.processUser(event.getUser());
  }
}

class AsyncEventListenerTest {

  @Test
  void shouldProcessEventAsynchronously() throws Exception {
    SlowService slowService = mock(SlowService.class);
    AsyncEventListener listener = new AsyncEventListener(slowService);

    User user = new User(1L, "Alice", "alice@example.com");
    UserCreatedEvent event = new UserCreatedEvent(this, user);

    listener.onUserCreatedAsync(event);

    // Event processed asynchronously
    Thread.sleep(100); // Wait for async completion
    verify(slowService).processUser(user);
  }
}
```

## Best Practices

- **Mock ApplicationEventPublisher** in unit tests
- **Capture published events** using ArgumentCaptor
- **Test listener side effects** explicitly
- **Test error handling** in listeners
- **Keep event listeners focused** on single responsibility
- **Verify event data integrity** when capturing
- **Test both sync and async** event processing

## Common Pitfalls

- Testing actual event publishing without mocking publisher
- Not verifying listener invocation
- Not capturing event details
- Testing listener registration instead of logic
- Not handling listener exceptions

## Troubleshooting

**Event not being captured**: Verify ArgumentCaptor type matches event class.

**Listener not invoked**: Ensure event is actually published and listener is registered.

**Async listener timing issues**: Use Thread.sleep() or Awaitility to wait for completion.

## References

- [Spring ApplicationEvent](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEvent.html)
- [Spring ApplicationEventPublisher](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/context/ApplicationEventPublisher.html)
- [@EventListener Documentation](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/context/event/EventListener.html)