ParentChild.scala

package pc

import akka.actor.Actor
import akka.actor.Props
import akka.actor.ActorRef
import akka.actor.ActorRefFactory

class Parent extends Actor {
  val child = context.actorOf(Props[Child], "child")
  var ponged = false

  def receive = {
    case 'pingit => child ! 'ping
    case 'pong => ponged = true
  }
}

class Child extends Actor {
  def receive = {
    case 'ping => context.parent ! 'pong
  }
}

class DependentChild(parent: ActorRef) extends Actor {
  def receive = {
    case 'ping => parent ! 'pong
  }
}

class DependentParent(childProps: Props) extends Actor {
  val child = context.actorOf(childProps, "child")
  var ponged = false

  def receive = {
    case 'pingit => child ! 'ping
    case 'pong => ponged = true
  }
}

class GenericDependentParent(childMaker: ActorRefFactory => ActorRef) extends Actor {
  val child = childMaker(context)
  var ponged = false

  def receive = {
    case 'pingit => child ! 'ping
    case 'pong => ponged = true
  }
}

ParentChildSpec.scala

package pc

import org.scalatest.WordSpec
import org.scalatest.Matchers
import akka.testkit.TestKitBase
import akka.actor.ActorSystem
import akka.actor.Props
import akka.actor.Actor
import akka.testkit.ImplicitSender
import akka.testkit.TestProbe
import akka.testkit.TestActorRef
import akka.actor.ActorRefFactory

class MockedChild extends Actor {
  def receive = {
    case 'ping => sender ! 'pong
  }
}

class ParentChildSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers with TestKitBase {
  implicit lazy val system = ActorSystem()

  "A DependentChild" should {
    "be tested without its parent" in {
      val probe = TestProbe()
      val child = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[DependentChild], probe.ref))
      probe.send(child, 'ping)
      probe.expectMsg('pong)
    }
  }

  "A DependentParent" should {
    "be tested with custom props" in {
      val probe = TestProbe()
      val parent = TestActorRef(new DependentParent(Props[MockedChild]))
      probe.send(parent, 'pingit)
      // test some parent state change
      parent.underlyingActor.ponged should (be(true) or be(false))
    }
  }

  "A GenericDependentParent" should {
    "be tested with a child probe" in {
      val probe = TestProbe()
      val maker = (_: ActorRefFactory) => probe.ref
      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(classOf[GenericDependentParent], maker))
      probe.send(parent, 'pingit)
      probe.expectMsg('ping)
    }
  }

  "A fabricated parent" should {
    "test its child responses" in {
      val proxy = TestProbe()
      val parent = system.actorOf(Props(new Actor {
        val child = context.actorOf(Props[Child], "child")
        def receive = {
          case x if sender == child => proxy.ref forward x
          case x => child forward x
        }
      }))

      proxy.send(parent, 'ping)
      proxy.expectMsg('pong)
    }
  }
}