Re: [Boost-users] Library Interface Design

From: divyank shukla (divyank_s_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-09-14 01:47:55

Most large softwares have test event drivers that 
that allow some functions/interfaces be called only 
for debug enviromnets. and in the code we have
constructs like 

DBG_ASSERT()

regards
 divyank

--- Scott Meyers <usenet_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> Rush Manbert wrote:
> > In  a case like the example, where I know it might
> be hard to setup the 
> > object correctly, I'd rather have a constructor
> that took some bogus 
> > argument type that set the object up in "simulated
> success" mode, but 
> > only in my debug build.
> 
> I'm glad you mentioned this, because my recent
> knowledge of unit testing 
> comes from books like Beck's "Test-Driven
> Development" and Feathers' 
> "Working Effectively with Legacy Code" as well as
> countless breathless 
> articles lauding the wonder of unit testing and
> showing how it's all 
> oh-so-simple.  My feeling is that it would often be
> convenient to have a 
> special "test" interface, but I've never seen any
> discussion of doing 
> that.  I can imagine a couple of ways of doing this,
> one being to 
> literally have a different interface for debug
> builds, another to have 
> "test only" interface elements cordoned off
> somewhere by convention 
> (similar to Boost's use of namespaces named
> "detail").
> 
> > EventLog::EventLog (bool dummyarg)
> > {   // This constructor sets us up in simulated
> success mode.
> >      #ifdef DEBUG	// or whatever you use
> >          m_simulateSuccess = true;
> >      #else
> >          throw something useful
> >      #endif
> > }
> 
> Hmmm, I'd think this entire constructor would exist
> only in debug 
> builds, e.g.,
> 
>    class EventLog {
>    public:
>    #ifdef DEBUG
>      EventLog(bool dummyarg);
>    #endif
> 
> Unfortunately, conditional compilation is not
> without its own resultant 
> spaghetti code and concomitant maintenance
> headaches.
> 
> Scott
> 
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> 

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