Makefile: Added dist target

[ETest.git] / etest.texinfo

\input texinfo   @c -*-texinfo-*-

@setfilename etest.info
@settitle Emacs Testing Framework

@dircategory Emacs
@direntry
* ETest: (etest).           The Emacs Testing Framework
@end direntry

@copying
Copyright @copyright{} 2008 Philip Jackson.
@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A
copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free
Documentation License".
@end quotation
@end copying

@titlepage
@title ETest - The Emacs Testing Framework

@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
@insertcopying
@end titlepage

@ifhtml
@contents
@end ifhtml

@ifnottex
@node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
@top ETest Manual 0.1

@menu
* Introduction::                Introduction to ETest.
* Installation::                How to get emacs to wear ETest.

* Usage::                       How to use ETest.
* The results buffer::          Display of test results.
* The Tests::                   Functions available for testing.
@end menu
@end ifnottex

@node Introduction, Installation, Top, Top
@chapter Introduction

ETest (or etest, if you like) is the Emacs Testing Framework. It is a
small modular system for writing unit tests in Emacs Lisp.

At time of writing ETest consists of two files. @file{etest.el}
provides the core test functionality. It defines the function
(actually, macro) @code{etest} which is usually ones entrance into a
test run. The file @file{etest-result-mode.el} adds functions that
allow the visualisation of a run with syntax highlighting, folding and
comment toggling.

@node Installation
@chapter Installation

To install ETest use one of the following methods:

@section Compiling ETest

Once you've unpacked the tarball change into the new directory and run
@code{make} if all goes well run @code{make install} (you may need
escalated privileges for this step).

@section Manual Installation

If you don't want to byte-compile for some reason then you can just
copy the @code{.el} files into a directory in your @var{load-path}.

If you would rather add the unpacked library @emph{to} your load path
then the following will work assuming the etest directory is in your
home directory:

@lisp
(add-to-list 'load-path "~/etest")
@end lisp

@node Usage
@chapter Usage

First you must evaluate @code{(require 'etest)} then you can start
using the @code{etest} macro.

Using ETest is very simple. Once you have installed the modules then
you can simply run your first test like this:

@lisp
(etest (ok 1))
@end lisp
@noindent

This should pop up a results buffer showing you the outcome of the
run. In this case all should be ok because, well, 1 is a pass
according to the @code{ok} test.

@node The results buffer
@chapter The results buffer

The results buffer is where you can see (and manipulate) the results
of a test run in a human friendly format. It will always popup when
etest is run and let you know how things went.

@menu
* Example output::              What the output looks like.
* Bindings::                    What commands you have at your disposal.
@end menu

@node Example output
@section Example output

Given the hypothetical tests:

@lisp
(etest
 ("Numeric comparisons"
  ("Integers"
   (ok (> 1 0) "one is more than 0")
   (ok (< 1 0) "one is less than 0"))
  ("Floats"
   (ok (> 10 9.99))
   (ok (< 1 -5.2) "one is less than 5.2"))))
@end lisp
@noindent

Once run give us the following in the results buffer:

@example
* Numeric comparisons
** Integers
   ok ................ one is more than 0
                       # got: 't'
   not ok ............ one is less than 0
                       # got: 'nil'
** Floats
   ok ................ (ok (> 10 9.99))
                       # got: 't'
   not ok ............ one is less than 5.2
                       # got: 'nil'
@end example
@noindent

All headings are foldable as are comments.

@node Bindings
@section Bindings

@table @kbd
@item q
@findex bury-buffer
Bury this results buffer.
@item #
@findex etest-rm-etest-rm-cycle-comments
Shift the values in @code{etest-rm-comment-visibility-types} and use
the @code{car} of that list to determine the visibility of comments.
@item <tab>
@findex etest-rm-toggle-headline
Toggle the visibility of a heading or test comment.
@end table

@node The Tests
@chapter The Tests

Tests are always run within the @code{etest} form and usually always
evaluate their arguments. Tests will always have a defined number of
required arguments (for example @code{ok} requires one argument. Each
test also allows for one optional argument which is a custom
documentation string. If this argument is omitted then ETest will
generate one in its place. So, for example, if you used
@code{(etest (ok 1))} the doc string would be @code{"(ok 1)"} if you used
@code{(etest (ok 1 "Foo"))} the doc string would be @code{"Foo"}.

@menu
* Test Structure::              Basic structure of tests.
* Builtin Simple Tests::        Boolean checks.
* Builtin Equality Tests::      Are two things similar?
* Builtin Error Tests::         Test exception handling.
* Builtin String Tests::        
* Defining your own tests::     Extend ETest.
@end menu

@node Test Structure
@section Test Structure

Tests can be grouped within headings by simply using a string as the
first element of a form like this:

@lisp
(etest
 ("Simple tests"
  (ok 1)))
@end lisp
@noindent

You can nest headings to your hearts content.

This will produce a set of results that follow the same hierarchical
pattern as the tests themselves. For example the above produces the
following structure:

@lisp
(("Simple tests"
  (:result t :comments "got: '1'" :doc "(ok 1)")))
@end lisp
@noindent

The output in the results buffer is:

@example
* Simple tests
  ok ................. (ok 1)
                       # got: '1'
@end example

@node Builtin Simple Tests
@section Builtin Simple Tests

These basic tests allow you, basically, to check if a value is either
non-nil or nil.

@subsection ok

@code{ok} will only pass if its argument produces a non-nil result.

@lisp
(etest (ok (+ 1 1)))
@end lisp
@noindent

@subsection null

@code{null} will only pass if its argument produces a nil result.

@lisp
(etest (null nil))
@end lisp
@noindent

@node Builtin Equality Tests
@section Builtin Equality Tests

The following functions map to their lisp counterparts and so don't
really require much explanation. Evaluate each of the examples to
watch them pass.

Each take two forms which, post evaluation, are the objects to
compare.

@subsection eq

@lisp
(etest (eq 1 1))
@end lisp
@noindent

@subsection eql

@lisp
(etest (eql 1.1 1.1))
@end lisp
@noindent

@subsection equal

@lisp
(etest (equal '(1 2) '(1 2)))
@end lisp
@noindent

@node Builtin Error Tests
@section Builtin Error Tests

These two functions each take one form.

@subsection error

This test will pass if an exception is raised. For example, cause a
divide by zero error (@code{(arith-error)}):

@lisp
(etest (error (/ 1 0)))
@end lisp
@noindent

@subsection noerror

This test will pass if no exception is raised. For example, a valid
division will not raise an error:

@lisp
(etest (noerror (/ 0 1)))
@end lisp
@noindent

@node Builtin String Tests
@section Builtin String Tests

@subsection like

@code{like} takes two arguments a string and a regexp to test it against:

@lisp
(etest (like "Hello" "^H\\(e\\)"))
@end lisp
@noindent

Produces this in the results buffer:

@example
 ok .................. (like "Hello" "^H\\(e\\)")
                       # searching: 'Hello'
                       # match   1: 'e'
@end example
@noindent

The grouping within the regular expression only affects the comments.

@node Defining your own tests
@section Defining your own tests

Defining your own tests is fairly trivial and where ETest becomes
really useful.

Each test must return a plist that has @code{:result} and, optionally,
@code{:comments} in it.

@code{:result} represents whether the test passed or failed non-nil
for a pass and nil for a fail.

The optional @code{:comments} are newline separated strings that might
help the user in their diagnosis of a problem. Comments should follow
the conventions set by the 'builtin' tests using keywords such as
'got:'.

To have ETest recognise the test as valid the @code{deftest} function
should be used. For example if I wanted to create a function that
took two arguments and tested the first was numerically greater than
the other I might do this:

@lisp
(defun etest-greater-than (one two)
  (let* ((res (> one two)))
    (list :result res
          :comments (unless res
                      (format "one: '%d'\ntwo: '%d'" one two)))))
@end lisp
@noindent

We let emacs take care of type errors (and any other type of error)
which is what all of the builtins do. Also it's worth noting that if
you want your arguments evaling you have to do it yourself.

Now we let ETest know this new function exists:

@lisp
(deftest '(> 2) 'etest-greater-than)
@end lisp
@noindent

So, the new function will be called @code{>}, it will take two arguments
and it calls maps to @code{etest-greater-than}.

@lisp
(deftest '(> 2) 'etest-greater-than)
@end lisp
@noindent

Now you can mix @code{>} with other tests:

@lisp
(etest
 (ok "something")
 (> 1 2 "one is more than two"))
@end lisp
@noindent

Which in the results buffer produces:

@example
 ok .................. (ok "something")
                       # got: '"something"'
 not ok .............. one is more than two
                       # one: '1'
                       # two: '2'
@end example
@noindent

@bye