diff --git a/extensions/ql-vscode/test/pure-tests/databases/db-item-selection.test.ts b/extensions/ql-vscode/test/pure-tests/databases/db-item-selection.test.ts
index 241a97695..da47a1254 100644
--- a/extensions/ql-vscode/test/pure-tests/databases/db-item-selection.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/ql-vscode/test/pure-tests/databases/db-item-selection.test.ts
@@ -1,90 +1,29 @@
 import { DbItem, DbItemKind } from "../../../src/databases/db-item";
 import { getSelectedDbItem } from "../../../src/databases/db-item-selection";
+import {
+  createLocalDatabaseDbItem,
+  createLocalListDbItem,
+  createRemoteOwnerDbItem,
+  createRemoteRepoDbItem,
+  createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem,
+  createRemoteUserDefinedListDbItem,
+  createRootLocalDbItem,
+  createRootRemoteDbItem,
+} from "../../factories/db-item-factories";
 
 describe("db item selection", () => {
   it("should return undefined if no item is selected", () => {
     const dbItems: DbItem[] = [
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootRemote,
-        expanded: false,
+      createRootRemoteDbItem({
         children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
-            listName: "top_10",
-            listDisplayName: "Top 10 repositories",
-            listDescription: "Top 10 repositories of a language",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
-            listName: "top_100",
-            listDisplayName: "Top 100 repositories",
-            listDescription: "Top 100 repositories of a language",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteOwner,
-            ownerName: "github",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList,
-            expanded: false,
-            listName: "my list",
-            repos: [
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo2",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo3",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-            ],
-            selected: false,
-          },
+          createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteOwnerDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteUserDefinedListDbItem({}),
         ],
-      },
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootLocal,
-        expanded: false,
-        children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.LocalList,
-            expanded: false,
-            listName: "list-1",
-            databases: [
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-                databaseName: "db1",
-                dateAdded: 1234,
-                language: "javascript",
-                storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-                databaseName: "db2",
-                dateAdded: 1234,
-                language: "javascript",
-                storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-            ],
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-            databaseName: "db3",
-            dateAdded: 1234,
-            language: "javascript",
-            storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-        ],
-      },
+      }),
+      createRootLocalDbItem({
+        children: [createLocalListDbItem({}), createLocalDatabaseDbItem({})],
+      }),
     ];
 
     expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toBeUndefined();
@@ -92,44 +31,24 @@ describe("db item selection", () => {
 
   it("should return correct local database item from DbItem list", () => {
     const dbItems: DbItem[] = [
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootLocal,
-        expanded: false,
+      createRootLocalDbItem({
         children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.LocalList,
-            expanded: false,
-            listName: "list-1",
-            databases: [
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-                databaseName: "db1",
-                dateAdded: 1234,
-                language: "javascript",
-                storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-                databaseName: "db2",
-                dateAdded: 1234,
-                language: "javascript",
-                storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-                selected: true,
-              },
-            ],
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.LocalDatabase,
-            databaseName: "db3",
+          createLocalDatabaseDbItem({
+            databaseName: "db2",
             dateAdded: 1234,
             language: "javascript",
             storagePath: "/foo/bar",
-            selected: false,
-          },
+            selected: true,
+          }),
+          createLocalListDbItem({
+            databases: [
+              createLocalDatabaseDbItem({}),
+              createLocalDatabaseDbItem({}),
+            ],
+          }),
         ],
-      },
+        expanded: false,
+      }),
     ];
 
     expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toEqual({
@@ -144,42 +63,20 @@ describe("db item selection", () => {
 
   it("should return correct remote database list item from DbItem list", () => {
     const dbItems: DbItem[] = [
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootRemote,
-        expanded: false,
+      createRootRemoteDbItem({
         children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
-            listName: "top_10",
-            listDisplayName: "Top 10 repositories",
-            listDescription: "Top 10 repositories of a language",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteOwner,
-            ownerName: "github",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList,
-            expanded: false,
+          createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteOwnerDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteUserDefinedListDbItem({
             listName: "my list",
-            repos: [
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo2",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo3",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-            ],
             selected: true,
-          },
+            repos: [
+              createRemoteRepoDbItem({ repoFullName: "owner1/repo2" }),
+              createRemoteRepoDbItem({ repoFullName: "owner1/repo3" }),
+            ],
+          }),
         ],
-      },
+      }),
     ];
 
     expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toEqual({
@@ -204,49 +101,19 @@ describe("db item selection", () => {
 
   it("should handle arbitrary list of db items", () => {
     const dbItems: DbItem[] = [
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootRemote,
-        expanded: false,
+      createRootRemoteDbItem({
         children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
-            listName: "top_10",
-            listDisplayName: "Top 10 repositories",
-            listDescription: "Top 10 repositories of a language",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteOwner,
-            ownerName: "github",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList,
-            expanded: false,
-            listName: "my list",
-            repos: [
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo2",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-              {
-                kind: DbItemKind.RemoteRepo,
-                repoFullName: "owner1/repo3",
-                selected: false,
-              },
-            ],
-            selected: false,
-          },
+          createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteOwnerDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteUserDefinedListDbItem({}),
         ],
-      },
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
+      }),
+      createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem({
         listName: "top_10",
         listDisplayName: "Top 10 repositories",
         listDescription: "Top 10 repositories of a language",
         selected: true,
-      },
+      }),
     ];
 
     expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toEqual({
@@ -260,33 +127,24 @@ describe("db item selection", () => {
 
   it("should handle empty db item lists", () => {
     const dbItems: DbItem[] = [
-      {
-        kind: DbItemKind.RootRemote,
-        expanded: false,
+      createRootRemoteDbItem({
         children: [
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteSystemDefinedList,
-            listName: "top_10",
-            listDisplayName: "Top 10 repositories",
-            listDescription: "Top 10 repositories of a language",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteOwner,
-            ownerName: "github",
-            selected: false,
-          },
-          {
-            kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList,
-            expanded: false,
-            listName: "my list",
+          createRemoteSystemDefinedListDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteOwnerDbItem({}),
+          createRemoteUserDefinedListDbItem({
             repos: [],
-            selected: false,
-          },
+            selected: true,
+            listName: "list84",
+          }),
         ],
-      },
+      }),
     ];
-
-    expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(getSelectedDbItem(dbItems)).toEqual({
+      expanded: false,
+      kind: DbItemKind.RemoteUserDefinedList,
+      listName: "list84",
+      repos: [],
+      selected: true,
+    });
   });
 });