227: Mocking in Python with unittest.mock - Michael Foord

Test & Code

This episode is a replay of a 2021 interview I did with Michael Foord.
We lost Michael in January, and I'd like to revisit this interview as a tribute.

Michael Foord was a pivotal figure in the Python community and the creator of the mock library that's now unittest.mock.
But he did so much more as well.
His contributions continue to resonate within the developer community.
This interview is just a small peek at his influence.

In this episode

• Introduction to Michael Foord
• The Mock Library Origins
• Mocking and Testing Philosophy
• Career Path and Consulting
• Understanding Mocking
• The Power of Patch
• Testing Strategies and Design
• Mocking External Dependencies
• Teaching Testing and Mocking

python.org has put up an "In memoriam" page for Michael Foord, and many people have shared stories and memories.

Links:

• In memoriam: Michael Foord 1974-2025
• 30 best practices for software development and testing