What is mocking and why is it important in unit testing?

Short answer: Mocking is creating fake objects that simulate the behavior of real dependencies. It’s important because it isolates the unit under test, avoids reliance on external systems, improves test speed, and allows testing specific scenarios and edge cases.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.