NAME
Test::Builder - Backend for building test libraries
SYNOPSIS
package My::Test::Module;
use Test::Builder;
require Exporter;
@ISA = qw(Exporter);
@EXPORT = qw(ok);
my $Test = Test::Builder->new;
$Test->output('my_logfile');
sub import {
my($self) = shift;
my $pack = caller;
$Test->exported_to($pack);
$Test->plan(@_);
$self->export_to_level(1, $self, 'ok');
}
sub ok {
my($test, $name) = @_;
$Test->ok($test, $name);
}
DESCRIPTION
THIS IS ALPHA GRADE SOFTWARE The interface will change.
Test::Simple and Test::More have proven to be popular testing modules, but they're not always flexible enough. Test::Builder provides the a building block upon which to write your own test libraries.
Construction
- new
-
my $Test = Test::Builder->new;
Returns a Test::Builder object representing the current state of the test.
Since you only run one test per program, there is one and only one Test::Builder object. No matter how many times you call new(), you're getting the same object. (This is called a singleton).
Setting up tests
These methods are for setting up tests and declaring how many there are. You usually only want to call one of these methods.
- exported_to
-
my $pack = $Test->exported_to; $Test->exported_to($pack);
Tells Test::Builder what package you exported your functions to. This is important for getting TODO tests right.
- plan
-
$Test->plan('no_plan'); $Test->plan( skip_all => $reason ); $Test->plan( tests => $num_tests );
A convenient way to set up your tests. Call this and Test::Builder will print the appropriate headers and take the appropriate actions.
If you call plan(), don't call any of the other methods below.
- expected_tests
-
my $max = $Test->expected_tests; $Test->expected_tests($max);
Gets/sets the # of tests we expect this test to run and prints out the appropriate headers.
- no_plan
-
$Test->no_plan;
Declares that this test will run an indeterminate # of tests.
- skip_all
-
$Test->skip_all; $Test->skip_all($reason);
Skips all the tests, using the given $reason. Exits immediately with 0.
Running tests
These actually run the tests, analogous to the functions in Test::More.
$name is always optional.
- ok
-
$Test->ok($test, $name);
Your basic test. Pass if $test is true, fail if $test is false. Just like Test::Simple's ok().
- is_eq
-
$Test->is_eq($got, $expected, $name);
Like Test::More's is(). Checks if $got eq $expected. This is the string version.
- is_num
-
$Test->is_num($get, $expected, $name);
Like Test::More's is(). Checks if $got == $expected. This is the numeric version.
- like
-
$Test->like($this, qr/$regex/, $name); $Test->like($this, '/$regex/', $name);
Like Test::More's like(). Checks if $this matches the given $regex.
You'll want to avoid qr// if you want your tests to work before 5.005.
- skip
-
$Test->skip; $Test->skip($why);
Skips the current test, reporting $why.
Test style
- level
-
$Test->level($how_high);
How far up the call stack should $Test look when reporting where the test failed.
Defaults to 1.
Setting $Test::Builder::Level overrides. This is typically useful localized:
{ local $Test::Builder::Level = 2; $Test->ok($test); }
- use_numbers
-
$Test->use_numbers($on_or_off);
Whether or not the test should output numbers. That is, this if true:
ok 1 ok 2 ok 3
or this if false
ok ok ok
Most useful when you can't depend on the test output order, such as when threads or forking is involved.
Test::Harness will accept either, but avoid mixing the two styles.
Defaults to on.
- no_header
-
$Test->no_header($no_header);
If set to true, no "1..N" header will be printed.
- no_ending
-
$Test->no_ending($no_ending);
Normally, Test::Builder does some extra diagnostics when the test ends. It also changes the exit code as described in Test::Simple.
If this is true, none of that will be done.
Output
Controlling where the test output goes.
It's ok for your test to change where STDOUT and STDERR point to, Test::Builder's default output settings will not be effected.
- diag
-
$Test->diag(@msgs);
Prints out the given $message. Normally, it uses the failure_output() handle, but if this is for a TODO test, the todo_output() handle is used.
Output will be indented and marked with a # as not to interfere with test output.
We encourage using this rather than calling print directly.
- output
-
$Test->output($fh); $Test->output($file);
Where normal "ok/not ok" test output should go.
Defaults to STDOUT.
- failure_output
-
$Test->failure_output($fh); $Test->failure_output($file);
Where diagnostic output on test failures and diag() should go.
Defaults to STDERR.
- todo_output
-
$Test->todo_output($fh); $Test->todo_output($file);
Where diagnostics about todo test failures and diag() should go.
Defaults to STDOUT.
Test Status and Info
- current_test
-
my $curr_test = $Test->current_test; $Test->current_test($num);
Gets/sets the current test # we're on.
You usually shouldn't have to set this.
- summary
-
my @tests = $Test->summary;
A simple summary of the tests so far. True for pass, false for fail. This is a logical pass/fail, so todos are passes.
Of course, test #1 is $tests[0], etc...
- details UNIMPLEMENTED
-
my @tests = $Test->details;
Like summary(), but with a lot more detail.
$tests[$test_num - 1] = { ok => is the test considered ok? actual_ok => did it literally say 'ok'? name => name of the test (if any) type => 'skip' or 'todo' (if any) reason => reason for the above (if any) };
- todo
-
my $todo_reason = $Test->todo; my $todo_reason = $Test->todo($pack);
todo() looks for a $TODO variable in your tests. If set, all tests will be considered 'todo' (see Test::More and Test::Harness for details). Returns the reason (ie. the value of $TODO) if running as todo tests, false otherwise.
todo() is pretty part about finding the right package to look for $TODO in. It uses the exported_to() package to find it. If that's not set, it's pretty good at guessing the right package to look at.
Sometimes there is some confusion about where todo() should be looking for the $TODO variable. If you want to be sure, tell it explicitly what $pack to use.
- caller
-
my $package = $Test->caller; my($pack, $file, $line) = $Test->caller; my($pack, $file, $line) = $Test->caller($height);
Like the normal caller(), except it reports according to your level().
EXAMPLES
At this point, Test::Simple and Test::More are your best examples.
SEE ALSO
Test::Simple, Test::More, Test::Harness
AUTHORS
Original code by chromatic, maintained by Michael G Schwern <schwern@pobox.com>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2001 by chromatic <chromatic@wgz.org>, Michael G Schwern <schwern@pobox.com>.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.