# Akka Net Testing Patterns

Write unit and integration tests for Akka.NET actors using modern Akka.Hosting.TestKit...

- Repository: https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills (1244 stars)
- Category: Testing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-28
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill akka-net-testing-patterns -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill akka-net-testing-patterns -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill akka-net-testing-patterns -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills --skill akka-net-testing-patterns -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills`

## Description

Write unit and integration tests for Akka.NET actors using modern Akka.Hosting.TestKit patterns. Covers dependency injection, TestProbes, persistence testing, and actor interaction verification. Includes guidance on when to use traditional TestKit.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Akka.NET Testing Patterns

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Writing unit tests for Akka.NET actors
- Testing persistent actors with event sourcing
- Verifying actor interactions and message flows
- Testing actor supervision and lifecycle
- Mocking external dependencies in actor tests
- Testing cluster sharding behavior locally
- Verifying actor state recovery and persistence

## Reference Files

- [examples.md](examples.md): Complete code samples for all testing patterns (Patterns 1-8 plus Reminders)
- [anti-patterns-and-reference.md](anti-patterns-and-reference.md): Anti-patterns, traditional TestKit, CI/CD integration

## Choosing Your Testing Approach

### Use Akka.Hosting.TestKit (Recommended for 95% of Use Cases)

**When:**
- Building modern .NET applications with `Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection`
- Using Akka.Hosting for actor configuration in production
- Need to inject services into actors (`IOptions`, `DbContext`, `ILogger`, HTTP clients, etc.)
- Testing applications that use ASP.NET Core, Worker Services, or .NET Aspire
- Working with modern Akka.NET projects (Akka.NET v1.5+)

**Advantages:**
- Native dependency injection support - override services with fakes in tests
- Configuration parity with production (same extension methods work in tests)
- Clean separation between actor logic and infrastructure
- Type-safe actor registry for retrieving actors

### Use Traditional Akka.TestKit

**When:**
- Contributing to Akka.NET core library development
- Working in environments without `Microsoft.Extensions` (console apps, legacy systems)
- Legacy codebases using manual `Props` creation without DI

See [anti-patterns-and-reference.md](anti-patterns-and-reference.md) for traditional TestKit patterns.

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## Core Principles (Akka.Hosting.TestKit)

The rest: https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/dotnet-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/akka-testing-patterns/SKILL.md