Can you explain what is meant by fixtures in the context of automated testing?

In automated testing, fixtures are pre-prepared conditions or objects necessary for executing tests. They create a stable and predictable environment so that tests are reproducible and independent.

Fixtures can include:

• data preparation (e.g., filling a database with test records),
• environment setup,
• creation of objects or configurations,
• cleanup after tests.

In Python, for example, in the pytest framework, fixtures are implemented as functions decorated with @pytest.fixture, which can be used in tests for resource setup and teardown.

Example of a fixture in pytest:

import pytest

@pytest.fixture
def sample_list():
    return [1, 2, 3]


def test_sum(sample_list):
    assert sum(sample_list) == 6

Here, sample_list is a fixture that provides a ready-made list for the test.