3. Test Case

In this chapter, we will introduce how to use the various forms of Test Cases. We will illustrate with a very simple test routine, which verifies that the sum of two Money values with the same currency unit is a value that is the sum of the two values:

declare
  X, Y: Some_Currency;
begin
  X := 12; Y := 14;
  Assert (X + Y = 26, "Addition is incorrect");
end;

The following sections will show how to use this test method using the different test case types available in AUnit.

3.1. AUnit.Simple_Test_Cases

AUnit.Simple_Test_Cases.Test_Case is the root type of all test cases. Although generally not meant to be used directly, it provides a simple and quick way to run a test.

This tagged type has several methods that need to be defined, or may be overridden.

  • function Name (T : Test_Case) return Message_String is abstract:

    This function returns the Test name. You can easily translate regular strings to Message_String using AUnit.Format. For example:

    function Name (T : Money_Test) return Message_String is
begin
  return Format ("Money Tests");
end Name;

  • procedure Run_Test (T : in out Test_Case) is abstract:

    This procedure contains the test code. For example:

    procedure Run_Test (T : in out Money_Test) is
  X, Y: Some_Currency;
begin
  X := 12; Y := 14;
  Assert (X + Y = 26, "Addition is incorrect");
end Run_Test;

  • procedure Set_Up (T : in out Test_Case); and procedure Tear_Down (T : in out Test_Case); (default implementations do nothing):

    These procedures are meant to respectively set up or tear down the environment before running the test case. See Fixture for examples of how to use these methods.

You can find a compilable example of AUnit.Simple_Test_Cases.Test_Case usage in your AUnit installation directory: <aunit-root>/share/examples/aunit/simple_test/ or from the source distribution aunit-<version>-src/examples/simple_test/.

3.2. AUnit.Test_Cases

AUnit.Test_Cases.Test_Case is derived from AUnit.Simple_Test_Cases.Test_Case and defines its Run_Test procedure.

It allows a very flexible composition of Test routines inside a single test case, each being reported independently.

The following subprograms must be considered for inheritance, overriding or completion:

  • procedure Set_Up (T : in out Test_Case);
    procedure Tear_Down (T : in out Test_Case);

    Inherited. See AUnit.Simple_Test_Cases.

  • procedure Set_Up_Case (T : in out Test_Case);
    procedure Tear_Down_Case (T : in out Test_Case);

    Default implementation does nothing.

    These last two procedures provide an opportunity to set up and tear down the test case before and after all test routines have been executed. In contrast, the inherited Set_Up and Tear_Down are called before and after the execution of each individual test routine.

  • procedure Register_Tests (T : in out Test_Case) is abstract;

    This procedure must be overridden. It is responsible for registering all the test routines that will be run. You need to use either Registration.Register_Routine or the generic Specific_Test_Case.Register_Wrapper subprograms defined in AUnit.Test_Cases to register a routine. A test routine has the form:

    procedure Test_Routine (T : in out Test_Case'Class);

    or

    procedure Test_Wrapper (T : in out Specific_Test_Case'Class);

    The former procedure is used mainly for dispatching calls (see OOP considerations).

Using this type to test our money addition, the package spec is:

with AUnit; use AUnit;
with AUnit.Test_Cases; use AUnit.Test_Cases;

package Money_Tests is

  type Money_Test is new Test_Cases.Test_Case with null record;

  procedure Register_Tests (T: in out Money_Test);
  -- Register routines to be run

  function Name (T: Money_Test) return Message_String;
  -- Provide name identifying the test case

  -- Test Routines:
  procedure Test_Simple_Add (T : in out Test_Cases.Test_Case'Class);
end Money_Tests

The package body is:

with AUnit.Assertions; use AUnit.Assertions;

package body Money_Tests is

   procedure Test_Simple_Add (T : in out Test_Cases.Test_Case'Class) is
      X, Y : Some_Currency;
   begin
      X := 12; Y := 14;
      Assert (X + Y = 26, "Addition is incorrect");
   end Test_Simple_Add;

   -- Register test routines to call
   procedure Register_Tests (T: in out Money_Test) is
      use AUnit.Test_Cases.Registration;
   begin
      -- Repeat for each test routine:
      Register_Routine (T, Test_Simple_Add'Access, "Test Addition");
   end Register_Tests;

   -- Identifier of test case

   function Name (T: Money_Test) return Test_String is
   begin
      return Format ("Money Tests");
   end Name;

end Money_Tests;

3.3. AUnit.Test_Caller

Test_Caller is a generic package that is used with AUnit.Test_Fixtures.Test_Fixture. Test_Fixture is a very simple type that provides only the Set_Up and Tear_Down procedures. This type is meant to contain a set of user-defined test routines, all using the same set up and tear down mechanisms. Once those routines are defined, the Test_Caller package is used to incorporate them directly into a test suite.

With our money example, the Test_Fixture is:

with AUnit.Test_Fixtures;
package Money_Tests is
   type Money_Test is new AUnit.Test_Fixtures.Test_Fixture with null record;

   procedure Test_Simple_Add (T : in out Money_Test);

end Money_Tests;

The test suite (see Suite) calling the test cases created from this Test_Fixture is:

with AUnit.Test_Suites;
package Money_Suite is
   function Suite return AUnit.Test_Suites.Access_Test_Suite;
end Money_Suite;

Here is the corresponding body:

with AUnit.Test_Caller;
with Money_Tests;

package body Money_Suite is

   package Money_Caller is new AUnit.Test_Caller
      (Money_Tests.Money_Test);

   function Suite return Aunit.Test_Suites.Access_Test_Suite is
      Ret : AUnit.Test_Suites.Access_Test_Suite :=
      AUnit.Test_Suites.New_Suite;
   begin
      Ret.Add_Test
         (Money_Caller.Create
            ("Money Test : Test Addition",
              Money_Tests.Test_Simple_Add'Access));
      return Ret;
   end Suite;

end Money_Suite;

Note that New_Suite and Create are fully compatible with limited run-time libraries (in particular, those without dynamic allocation support). However, for non-native run-time libraries, you cannot extend Test_Fixture with a controlled component.

You can find a compilable example of AUnit.Test_Caller usage in the AUnit installation directory: <aunit-root>/share/examples/aunit/test_caller/ or from the source distribution aunit-<version>-src/examples/test_caller/.