How to test a trigger with a mandatory lookup field object

Question

I have an Account, with a related BillToAccount.

How do I create correctly the hierarchy in the test class?

Following code returns an error

FIELD_CUSTOM_VALIDATION_EXCEPTION, Bill To Account can not be empty: [Bill_To_Account__c]

There is a Validation Rule on that field, but it fires according to the type (the validation rule is ok - no need to check it)

the test method I have now is:

public static Account generateAccount(string m_Name)
{
    Account acc = new Account();
    acc.Name = m_Name;
    acc.type = 'Customer';
    acc.BillingCountry = 'Israel';

    if (acc.type == 'Customer')
    {
        Account btacc = new Account();
        btacc.name = 'testbillto';
        btacc.type = 'Channel Partner / Dealer';
        btacc.BillingCountry = 'Israel';
        insert btacc;
        acc.Bill_To_Account__r = btacc;
    }

    insert acc;
    return acc;
}      

billingcountry and type are mandatory.

I want that: acc.Bill_To_Account - will get the test bill to account I create.

• btacc is mandatory only if acc.type == 'Customer'

Answer 1

Instead of:

acc.Bill_To_Account__r = btacc;

use:

acc.Bill_To_Account__c = btacc.Id;

The relationship has to be set via the Id value not the object reference.

Answer 2

Use try:

Boolean isDMLException = false;
try{
 insert acc;
}
catch(DmlException ex){
    isDMLException = true;
}

System.assertEqual(true. isDMLException, 'Wrong exception result : ')