For what purposes are fixtures used in testing?

Fictories in testing are prepared data or system states used to ensure repeatability and stability of tests. They are needed for:

• Creating a predictable environment before test execution (e.g., populating the database with test data).
• Ensuring the same conditions for different tests.
• Simplifying environment setup and cleanup after tests.

Example: before an API test, a fixture can create a user in the database, so the test can operate on this user, and then delete it afterward to avoid affecting other tests.