Re: [Boost-build] Trying to create CxxTest support

From: McMillan, Scott (scott.mcmillan_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-01-17 14:05:21

I am a newbie and struggling with understanding how to create new rules
with Boost Build V2, and although I learned something from the previous
email, I still have not been able to achieve what I want in the way of
support for CxxTest unit testing framework.  For now, let's just deal
with the creation of test executables (set aside the automatic running
that is supplied by testing.jam.  

 

I would like to be able to define a rule/action/generator (whatever is
appropriate) to be able to support the following two scenarios:

 

1) Given a test suite class declaration in FooTS.h and definition in
FooTS.cpp, I would like to be able use cxxtestgen.pl to create a
FooTS_runner.cpp from FooTS.h (not FooTS.cxh as discussed in the
previous email below).  Then I would like to create the executable by
compiling and linking FooTS.cpp and FooTS_runner.cpp together.

 

2) I would like to be able to also create a single runner from multiple
*TS.h files and link all of the pertinent files together into one larger
executable.  Something like:

 

     cxxtestgen.pl -o global_runner.cpp Foo1TS.h Foo2TS.h ...

     CC -o global_runner Foo1TS.cpp Foo2TS.cpp ... global_runner.cpp

 

 

For Scenario #1, I started to hack the "run" rule from testing.jam, but
I keep getting stuck on the generation of the *_runner.cpp file and
getting all of the dependencies to come out correctly.  This is what I
tried:

 

   actions gen-cxxtest-runner-source

   {

      cxxtestgen.pl -o $(<) $(>)

   }

 

   # I added an initial argument and changed from 'sources +' to
'sources *'

   rule run ( test-suite : sources * : args * : input-files * :

              requirements * : target-name ? : default-build * )

   {

      gen-cxxtest-runner-source $(test_suite)_runner.cpp $(test_suite).h
;

      sources += $(test_suite).cpp $(test_suite)_runner.cpp ;

 

      # The rest is the same as the run rule in testing.jam

   }

 

My Jamfile would contain:

 

   run FooTS : : : : <some CxxTest-specific requirements> ;

 

and I get the following message when I try to build:

 

   # Unable to find file or target named FooTS_runner.cpp

 

I am guessing that this is wrong because at the time the rule is parse
it can't find the runner.cpp.  If so, then I need help understanding how
to get Boost Jam/Build to understand that the action will be fired to
generate it.  Not to mention the fact that it needs to get created in
the appropriate subdirectory of ./bin...

 

Also any advice on how to tweak the rules so that it can support
scenario #2 above as well?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you all can give,

scott 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: McMillan, Scott 
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:02 AM
To: Boost.Build developer's and user's list
Subject: RE: [Boost-build] Trying to create CxxTest support

 

> > generators.register-standard cxxtest.gencxx-file : CXXTEST_H : CPP ;

> ........

> > exe FooTS_runner : FooTS.cpp FooTS_runner.cxh : /* other
requirements */

> ........

> >

> > Notice that I had to add the "_runner" to the cxh file so that there

> > would not be two FooTS.o files (one from FooTS.cpp and one from

> > processing FooTS.cxh and compiling the result).

> 

> >

> > It is unsatisfying to rename the header file this way

> 

> Try:

> 

> generators.register-standard cxxtest.gencxx-file : CXXTEST_H :
CPP(%_runner) ;

> 

> that should append the _runner suffix to the generated CPP
automatically.

 

That is the solution for Item 1 below.  Thanks.

 

> > 1) If I wanted to continue with the .cxh approach, is writing a
custom

> > generator the way to process FooTS.cxh into FooTS_runner.cpp.  If so

> > could someone please help me as it is neither clear what method to

> > override (generate-targets?) nor how to do it to accomplish this
task.

> 

> You could have overriden generate-targets to append _runner to the
name

> of the output target.

 

I tried to do this but I just don't understand the contents of the
various arguments and what needs to be returned to be able to write the
appropriate method.  It would be helpful to my education to see an
example doing it this way (even though I prefer the solution above).

 

> > 2) Ultimately I would like to get back to something closer I have
with

> > our current Imakefile system which was to define a new rule that
took

> > FooTS as the argument (I would settle for a rule that had to take

> > FooTS.h and FooTS.cpp as arguments), generates FooTS_runner.cpp from

> > FooTS.h and compiled and linked FooTS.cpp and FooTS_runner.cpp into
an

> > executable called FooTS_runner.

> 

> Would:

> 

>     exe FooTS_runner : FooTS.cpp FooTS.h ;

> 

> work, as soon as _runner is automatically appended? Or you want
something

> different?

 

I am not sure what you are asking.  I don't think that I want exactly
the line above in my Jamfiles because that would imply that there would
be two different behaviours in my code for the exe rule.  Note that I do
build applications with the exe rule that does not require this
generation of *_runner.cpp files from header files, so I am wondering
how would a developer distinguish when a cxxtest application is being
built and when a normal application needs to be built.  Please clarify
if I am off-base here.

 

I think what I would prefer is a new rule that allows me to write
something like:

 

     cxxtest_exe FooTS_runner : FooTS.cpp FooTS.h ;

 

and have it recognize that it is FooTS.h that needs to be used to
generate the FooTS_runner.cpp file.

 

Just so you know where we are coming from now is that the Imake template
that we use (we actually use two to distinguish between unit and
performance test targets) only takes the test suite name, i.e. FooTS,
and assumes that FooTS.cpp and FooTS.h exist and generate all the
necessary make targets from that.

 

Thanks,

Scott