Fixture
also: fixtures, test fixture, test fixtures
Prepared sample data or setup that tests start from, like a few fake users and orders loaded before each test runs.
A fixed, known starting state for tests: sample records, files, or setup and cleanup code, such as seeding a test database with three users. Fixtures make tests repeatable because every run starts from the same place.
A cooking show's pre-measured ingredients in little bowls. Every take starts with exactly the same ingredients, so the results are comparable.
When an agent's tests depend on data, the fixtures decide what "normal" looks like. If fixtures only contain tidy data, tests never see the messy cases your real users create.
I added a fixture with 3 sample recipes, including one with no ingredients. Each test loads it into a fresh test database.
Create fixtures for the order tests that include a refunded order, an order with zero items, and a customer with no email address.
Thinking a fixture fakes part of the system. That's a mock. A fixture is the data or setup a test starts from; the code being tested is still real.