Re: [Boost-users] How to organize my Unit Tests

From: Gennadiy Rozental (gennadiy.rozental_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-03-06 11:40:08

"Mateusz Loskot" <mateusz_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:dufmfr$hem$1_at_sea.gmane.org...
> Hi,
>
> I'd like to ask yet another questions related to Unit Test Framework
> usage. Especially, I'm interested in best practice of Unit Tests
> organization in the project.
>
> I have a project that consists of more than 100 classes.
> Some of those classes are general purpose (e.g. Point) but some are
> organized in components (e.g. spatial index component consisting of 5
> classes).
>
> Now, I'd like to add Unit Tests (yes, I know I should have them prepared
> before I created those classes ;-)).
>
> I've read almost all docs about Boost.Test, downloaded from CVS.

Docs are not ready yet. Most of it is either outdated or incomplete.

> I know how to create Test Case and how to combine those cases into Test
> Suite. I also read introductory docs from "Tutorials and usage
> recommendations" part as well as I walked through unit_test_examples but
> I'm still a bit confused about the bigger picture.
>
> As far as I understand, every Test Case or Test Suite of cases is to be
> compiled to separate executable. Is this correct?

No. You could have any number of those in a single test module. You sould 
use your own judgement to decide when to split your test module into 
separtate executable. Usually reasons more or less clear:
   * Different units/subsytem needs to have separate executable
   * If some feature may casue compilation error - move it into separate 
module.
   * If number of test module execution time exceed some limit (your 
choice) - split it.

> So, unit_test_example_01.cpp and unit_test_example_02.cpp and so on
> create separate programs that can be executed e.g. from Visual Studio
> Post-Build Event as explained in docs.
>
> More precisely, every .cpp file that:
> - include #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
> - uses defines cases using BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE
> - or defines suites of cases using BOOST_TEST_SUITE + BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE

> will be a separate program. Right?

No. You could combine several test files into single test module. Don't 
forget - BOOST_TEST_MAIN/BOOST_TEST_MODULE should be defined into single one 
only.

Gennadiy