com.purplehillsbooks.testframe

Class TestDriver

java.lang.Object

com.purplehillsbooks.testframe.TestDriver

public class TestDriver
extends java.lang.Object

The Test Driver reads the command line arguments, makes an instance of the test class, and passes a test recorder to it.

TestFrame overview. Compared to other test frameworks, TestFrame may seem very simple. Do not confuse this with lack of capability. TestFrame was designed to provide precisely what is needed to implement a set of component tests, without a lot of extra fluff. Everything that is provided is needed, and everything that is provided has a well defined meaning. Other frameworks provide a large number of methods and capabilities that are not well defined, often resulting in multiple ways to do things. While having multiple redundant ways to do things may seem initially as a good thing, it leads to different developers setting things up in different ways, with the result that the entire test set is harder to manage. The goal with "TestFrame" is to provide a single clear way to write the test so that it is easier for developers to write tests that are consistent, and as a result easier to maintain.

You need to understand two classes and one interface in order to write a component test.

• TestSet - this is the interface that you must implement. It has a single method: "runTests". Simple enough. Whatever your test does, you must put the code in the body of this method.
• TestRecorder - the method "runTests" is passed a single parameter which is a TestRecorder. This object is the resource that your test uses to (1) get configuration information and parameters, and (2) communicate results of tests. There will be no writing to Standard.out! See the class documentation for details.
• TestDriver - this is the program that creates a TestRecorder, and invokes a test by passing the recorder to it. The only thing a component test writer needs to know about TestDriver is the command line parameters to control the testing. See below.

Usage of TestDrive is very easy. THere are two methods. The first passes the name of a single test class to invoke that class. The second is the name of a text file. This text file contains a list of names of testclasses to be invoked.

• TestDriver myTestList.txt param param param

The first parameter ends with ".txt" so it is assumed to be a text file, and is read line by line. The rest of the parameters are stored in the TestRecorder so that the test itself can access them. Each line contains a fully qualified class name, and then a list of parameters. The parameters are also stored in the TestRecorder so that the test can access them. A test file lime look something like:

• myTest.class param param param
• myTest.class param param param

The second way to invoke TestDriver is to pass the name of a test class itself followed by a number of parameters. Again, the parameters are not significant to the TestDriver itself, but are stored in TestRecorder for use by the test.

• TestDriver myTest.class param param param

That is all there is to it. Define a test which implements TestSet. That test can make use of any routines, any support libraries. It can go read files (although be careful not to hard code the path). It can run any number of individual tests. It can even, if it chooses, call other classes that implement TestSet. Essentually you have the full power of Java at your disposal, so use it.

See Also:

TestRecorder, Author: Keith Swenson

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
static void	deparenthesize(java.io.Writer out, java.lang.String input) Formats an exception message in order to print out a cascaded exception correctly.
static void	DriveTests(TestRecorderText tr, java.lang.String[] args) DriveTestsWithRecorder - allows an external program to create a test recorder and pass it to this, but otherwise drive the tests in the same manner.
static void	main(java.lang.String[] args) This program can be used with these parameters: TestDriver myTestList.txt param param param TestDriver myTest.class param param param The parameter is the name of a text file that contains the list of command lines: the first token on the line must be the test class, and the rest of the parameters work like command line parameters, only note: each parameter must be separated by exactly one space, and there is no support for quote symbols to allow spaces within a parameter.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Method Detail

deparenthesize

public static void deparenthesize(java.io.Writer out,
                                  java.lang.String input)
                           throws java.lang.Exception

Formats an exception message in order to print out a cascaded exception correctly.

It converts a string with multiple nested curley braces into a sequence of lines, indented one additional space for every level of nesting.

It is not likely that a test writer will need this, because a test should simple throw an exception, and almost never catch them, and in any case should never be printing them out. Instead an exception is reported through the TestRecorder.fatal method.

Throws:

java.lang.Exception

DriveTests

public static void DriveTests(TestRecorderText tr,
                              java.lang.String[] args)
                       throws java.lang.Exception

DriveTestsWithRecorder - allows an external program to create a test recorder and pass it to this, but otherwise drive the tests in the same manner. Used to integrate EST test framework with TestFrame

Throws:

java.lang.Exception

main

public static void main(java.lang.String[] args)

This program can be used with these parameters:

• TestDriver myTestList.txt param param param
• TestDriver myTest.class param param param

The parameter is the name of a text file that contains the list of command lines: the first token on the line must be the test class, and the rest of the parameters work like command line parameters, only note: each parameter must be separated by exactly one space, and there is no support for quote symbols to allow spaces within a parameter. Each such class must implement the TestSet interface.