Page rootParent override

[---]

I'm trying to create tests using PHPUnit, and I have the following method:

protected function _getRootItems(Page $currentPage)
    {
        /** @var Page $page */
        foreach (wire('pages')->find("has_parent!=2,id!=2|7,status<" . Page::statusTrash . ",include=all") as $page) {
            if ($this->_isActivePage($page) && $page->parent_id == 1) {
                $output[$page->sort] = [
                    'id' => $page->id,
                    'title' => $page->title,
                    'url' => $page->url,
                    'template' => $page->template->name,
                    'isActive' => $page->id == $currentPage->rootParent->id,
                    'children' => []
                ];
            }
        }

        ksort($output);

        return $output;
    }

I want to write a test for this method in PHPUnit. I end up with the error: Trying to get property of non-object

This is because $currentPage->rootParent is null.

My test looks like this:

public function testGetRootItems()
    {
        $mock = $this
            ->__getMock()
            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
            ->setMethods([
                '_isActive'
            ])
            ->getMock();

        $mock
            ->expects($this->any())
            ->method('_isActive')
            ->willReturn(false);

        $page = $this
            ->getMockBuilder(\ProcessWire\Page::class)
            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
            ->setMethods([
                '__get'
            ])
            ->getMock();

        $rootParent = $this
            ->getMockBuilder(\ProcessWire\Page::class)
            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
            ->setMethods([
                '__get'
            ])
            ->getMock();
        $template = $this
            ->getMockBuilder(\ProcessWire\Template::class)
            ->disableOriginalConstructor()
            ->setMethods([
                '__get'
            ])
            ->getMock();

        $template->name = 'name of the template';

        $rootParent->id = 1;
        $page->template = $template;
        $page->id = 2;
        $page->rootParent = 'hierzo!';

        var_dump(
            $page->rootParent
        );


        $method = $this->__getReflectionMethod('_getRootItems', $mock);

        $method->invoke(
            $mock,
            $page
        );
    }

I've already tried to override the rootParent with it's method (___rootParent), tried setting it directly ($page->rootParent) but so far nothing worked. I probably miss something really simple here.

I know that in my example, I set the value to a string. But the result of the var_dump below it is still NULL. I also tried setting it using $page->rootParent = $rootParent, this had no effect.

 

So my question: How can I possible override this rootParent variable?

[kixe]

You can set the parent, but not the rootParent.  RootParent is determined on the base of the pages parent. Method rootParent() is a getter and not setter.
Yes, you are able to modify the rootParent with a hook. But the hook option is not meant to change the rootParent and NOT the parent. (which would result in unexpected conflicts).

Solution: change the parent.