---
title: Test assertions failed after extracting SVD_THEMES to separate module
date: 2026-04-04
category: docs/solutions/test-failures/
module: Stemwijzer Data Analysis
problem_type: test_failure
component: explorer
symptoms:
  - "test_display_label_for_modal" assertion failed with "EU-integratie" not found
  - "test_get_svd_label_returns_correct_label" assertion failed with "Nationalisme" not found
  - Tests expected old fallback labels but SVD_THEMES had updated values
root_cause: test_failure
resolution_type: test_fix
severity: medium
tags: [svd, test-assertions, refactoring, constants]
affected_files:
  - tests/test_axis_label_fallback.py
  - tests/test_svd_labels.py
  - analysis/config.py
---

# Test assertions failed after extracting SVD_THEMES to separate module

## Problem

After extracting `SVD_THEMES` constant from `explorer.py` to `analysis/config.py`, tests failed because they hardcoded assertions for old label text.

## Symptoms

- `test_display_label_for_modal`: expected `"EU-integratie" in x_label or "Nationalisme" in x_label`
- `test_get_svd_label_returns_correct_label`: expected `"EU-integratie" in label1`
- `test_manifest_loads`: manifest.yaml had `categories:` key instead of `files:`

## What Didn't Work

- Investigating `get_svd_label()` function — it correctly returned values from `SVD_THEMES`
- Checking import chain — no circular import issues
- The problem was purely that test assertions hardcoded OLD expected label values

## Solution

Updated test assertions to match the current `SVD_THEMES` values:

**tests/test_axis_label_fallback.py:**

```python
# Before (incorrect)
assert "EU-integratie" in x_label or "Nationalisme" in x_label
assert "Populistisch" in y_label or "Institutioneel" in y_label

# After (correct)
assert "Rechts kabinetsbeleid" in x_label or "links oppositiebeleid" in x_label
assert "PVV/FVD-populisme" in y_label or "mainstream-partijen" in y_label
```

**tests/test_svd_labels.py:**

```python
# Before (incorrect)
assert "EU-integratie" in label1 or "Nationalisme" in label1

# After (correct)
assert "Rechts kabinetsbeleid" in label1 or "links oppositiebeleid" in label1
```

**Fix manifest.yaml:**

```yaml
# Before (incorrect)
categories:

# After (correct)
files:
```

## Why This Works

The tests were asserting on hardcoded string values that no longer matched the actual `SVD_THEMES` content. After updating the assertions to check for current label text, tests pass because they correctly verify the actual values returned.

## Prevention

1. **Audit tests when extracting constants** — When extracting constants to separate modules, grep for all test references to those constants and update assertions
2. **Use flexible assertions** — Prefer `in` checks over exact matches when testing label text, or better yet, import the constant directly in tests and assert equality
3. **Update manifest tests early** — When changing YAML structure in config files, check for corresponding manifest/schema tests

## Related Issues

- `analysis/config.py` — Contains `SVD_THEMES` (extracted from `explorer.py`)
- `analysis/svd_labels.py` — Uses `SVD_THEMES` via runtime import from `explorer.py`
- `docs/solutions/logic-errors/svd-component-labels-mismatch.md` — Background on why SVD labels were updated from semantic to voting-pattern based
