Re: [Cppunit-devel] TODO Documentation

[Robert W. <ro...@po...>]

On Wed, Mar 27, 2002 at 03:25:07PM +0100, Baptiste Lepilleur wrote:
> Can you look at http://gaiacrtn.free.fr/cppunit/index.html and let me know
> if you find the GUI and the creatin test case/ways of macros description
> clear enough ? (they need update but the basic haven't changed since then).

I remember I had a look at that page, but quickly turned away because
its release number was smaller than that I got (1.5.5 compared to
1.6.2) and it seemed to contain almost only MS Win stuff.

> > In the cookbook I would put
> > - how to create simple test cases (with CppUnit namespace)
> >   - test case using only CPPUINT_ASSERT
> >   - test case using CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL
> >   - advanced assertions with the CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE
> 
> - creating custom assertions using Asserter. (or should I put this at the
> end ?)
Depends on whether this is a newbie question or not.
If it is easy to see why one would create custom assertions I would
place it here. Otherwise at the end.
 
> > - Helper Macros for convenience
Or mention the Builder template here, too.

> > - Creating a suite
> > - Composing a suite from more suits (i.e. compose tests for n modules to
> >   form a big test for the whole program)
> > - customizing output using an user defined TestListener
> >   - how to write the TestListener (subclass of TestListener)
> >   - how to hook it in
> > - how to use the GUI
> >   - MSVC++ special stuff
> > - other custmization stuff I haven't understood yet
> 
> That layout looks good to me. You I keep the current cookbook, or scrap some
> of it (subclassing TestCase for example ?)
The current cookbook is ok, but not enough. :-)
 
> >From what I read below, it's seems that you are indeed refering to
> TestResultCollector (TestResult have been splitted in two classes since
> 1.7.3).
I have problems seeing where to get my own hooks in.
For example: I got some test that may crash the program (segmentation
fault). Thus the TextTestRunner displaying only dots and F or E
does not suffice, I want the name of each test before it is
started and the ok or e or f and the failure information when it
finishes. With that I would see which test crashes the program
(I don't want to rely on counting the dots and counting the
test methods.)
Now I wrote my own TestListener, but can not find where to get it
in. TestCase does not define defaultResult to be virtual so I
can not override it to return a TestResult to which I added
my Listener.
Also confusing: TextTestRunner and the UI Test Runners don't inherit
from TestRunner?


> I'm thinking of renaming TestResult to TestController. It's managing the
> TestListener, and in the short future, it'll provide a way to
> protected/decorate and test (for timing, COM initialization, and specific
> exception capture). Would that help ?
That is one thing, but more important would be IMHO some 3 to 5 
sentences in a brief description what the class is used for. And a hint
on what to customize here. This brief description should not copy
the information already given in the generated documentation.
For TestListener it could be something like this:
"Implementing the Observer pattern a TestListener may be registered
to a TestResult to obtain information on the testing progress. Use
specialized sub classes of TestListener for text output
(TextTestProgressListener). Do not use the Listener for the test
result output, use a subclass of Outputter instead."

Or for the TestResult: "Traverses the test cases in given suits.
This class shouldn't have to be inherited from. Use a TestListener
or one of its subclasses to be informed of the ongoing tests.
Use a Outputter to receive a test summary once it has finished."

[Correct me if I wrong, but you get the idea.]

>   There is a CPPUNIT_FAIL, name CPPUNIT_FAIL (amasing, isn't it ?) ;-)
Ah, thanks, I really missed that one. :-)
Maybe move the descriptions from the NEWS file to the official
documentation, after removing references to the previous release
of cppunit?  

Regards

Robert