Re: [Perlunit-users] Test::Unit::TestCase->list_tests order, database testing, Re: @TESTS bug

[Jean-Louis L. <jl...@so...>]

> I'm tempted to cross-post to perlunit-devel...  maybe you could reply
> about the patch/refactor to devel, and discuss the actual use of
> decoupled test cases on user?

Ok, I'll post to perlunit-devel soon. As for actual use and other
non-codish issues, please read on.

> In the general case it makes sense to shuffle the order of the tests
> methods: AIUI the design intention is that tests should be independent
> of each other.

My attention was first attracted to this issue because a colleague of
mine dismissed PerlUnit for that reason four years ago. I wanted to
know the full story.

I quickly found out about @TESTS, then realized it didn't work.

After doing some reading on junit.org, I accept the theoretical
reasons against ordering in the context of xUnit. However there are
*practical* reasons why you would want to. For example, some tests may
take a much longer time to run.

And for what I plan to use PerlUnit for, this is a very real
concern. The test method execution time may vary between hours, days
and even weeks. So I want to run the 'short' tests first, and either
terminate the suite or start analysis of failed short tests while the
longer ones are still running.

>> If I take the time to make a proper patch, will it be incorporated
>> and will a new version be released?
>
> Yes and no.  We will happily accept patches, and future releases will
> happen at some point.

I'm happy enough if my changes, provided they are accepted, make it
into the repository.

> More importantly for your patch, I think the fix should either be to
> the documentation, or a wider change to the code.  Will you stay for a
> chat before leaving your patch?  8-)

I'm evaluating test harnesses for a customer. I had some concerns
which are addresse by the content of your reply, how quick it came,
indeed that any reply came at all ;-)

And then I need a harness for a product my company is developing on
its own.

So if I decide to go with PerlUnit, it's likely to be a long-term
relationship...

> The JUnit guys discuss test execution order starting at
>   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/junit/message/4063
>
> and ending with a removal of the OP's need to fix order at
>   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/junit/message/4068

Thanks for the pointer.

BTW, there seems to be differences between PerlUnit and JUnit. As far
as I can see right now I can't duplicate this code from the
aforementioned thread
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/junit/message/4065): 

  public class MyTestCase extends TestCase {
    public static Test suite() {
      final TestSuite suite = new TestSuite();
      suite.addTest(new MyTestCase("myTestMethod1"));
      suite.addTest(new MyTestCase("myTestMethod2"));
      suite.addTest(new MyTestCase("myTestMethod3"));
      suite.addTest(new MyTestCase("myTestMethod4"));
      }
  }

...would (naively) translate to:
  
  my $suite = Test::Unit::TestSuite->new;
  $suite->add_test(FooBar->new('test_foo'));
  
  my $testrunner = Test::Unit::TestRunner->new();
  $testrunner->start($suite);

...but this results in:

  Couldn't load Test::Unit::TestSuite=HASH(0x86d2668) in any of the
  supported ways at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.3/Test/Unit/Loader.pm
  line 68.
-- 
Jean-Louis Leroy
Sound Object Logic
http://www.soundobjectlogic.com