Auto-generating test cases
Although it's not possible to generate a complete PHPT test, it's quite easy to generate the
standard sections and some simple functions automatically, creating a test case "frame".
To do this, you need:
- A build pf PHP53
- The file generate-phpt.phar, located in the PHP53 source under scripts/dev
Example output - a generated test case frame for the cos() function:
--TEST--
Test function cos() by calling it with its expected arguments
--FILE--
<?php
echo "*** Test by calling method or function with its expected arguments ***\n"
$number =
var_dump(cos( $number ) );
?>
--EXPECTF--
Completing the .phpt test file:
To turn this into a complete test case, all the developer has to do is to initialise $number to something reasonable
and to add a section for the expected output.
Command syntax
php generate-phpt.php -f <function_name> |-c <class_name> -m <method_name> -b|e|v [-s skipif:ini:clean:done] [-k win|notwin|64b|not64b] [-x ext]
Options
Use -h to list them, this is the output:
-f function_name ................. Name of PHP function, eg cos
-c class name .....................Name of class, eg DOMDocument
-m method name ....................Name of method, eg createAttribute
-b ............................... Generate basic tests
-e ............................... Generate error tests
-v ............................... Generate variation tests
-s sections....................... Create optional sections, colon separated list
-k skipif key..................... Skipif option, only used if -s skipif is used.
-x extension.......................Skipif option, specify extension to check for
-h ............................... Print this message
Implementation notes
The source code is under scripts/dev/generate-phpt/src. The phar file is generated using the script gtPackage.php.
The script works by using Reflection to work out what arguments a function or method expects and then setting up a function/method
invocation.
The catch with generating tests this way is that the script has to be run *using the level of PHP that you want to test*,
so if your were trying to write tests before doing development this script will not help. However, for filling in test gaps
in existing extensions it works fine.
Return to write tests.
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