boost_1_45_0/libs/test/doc/html/utf/intro.html - nest-learning-thermostat/5.0/boost - Git at Google

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 <div class="chapter" lang="en">
 <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title">
 <a name="utf.intro"></a>Introduction</h2></div></div></div>
 <div class="epigraph">
 <p>
     The acceptance test makes the customer satisfied that the software provides the business value that makes them
     willing to pay for it. The unit test makes the programmer satisfied that the software does what the programmer
     thinks it does
    </p>
 <div class="attribution"><span>--<span class="attribution">XP maxim</span></span></div>
 </div>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    What is the first thing you need to do when you start working on new library/class/program? That's right -
    you need to start with the unit test module (I hope you all gave this answer!). Occasional, simple test may be
    implemented using asserts. But any professional developer soon finds this approach lacking. It becomes clear that
    it's too time-consuming and tedious for simple, but repetitive unit testing tasks and it's too inflexible for
    most nontrivial ones.
   </p>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    <em class="firstterm"><a name="utf.def"></a>The Boost Test Library Unit Test Framework</em> (further in the documentation
    referred by the acronym <acronym class="acronym"><a name="utf.def.ref"></a>UTF</acronym>) provides both an easy to use and flexible solution
    to this problem domain: C++ unit test implementation and organization.
   </p>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    Unit testing tasks arise during many different stages of software development: from initial project implementation
    to its maintenance and later revisions. These tasks differ in their complexity and purpose and accordingly are
    approached differently by different developers. The wide spectrum of tasks in a problem domain cause many
    requirements (sometimes conflicting) to be placed on a unit testing framework. These include:
   </p>
 <div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="square">
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      Writing a unit test module should be simple and obvious for new users.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      The framework should allow advanced users to perform nontrivial tests.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      Test module should be able to have many small test cases and developer should be able to group them into test
      suites.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      At the beginning of the development users want to see verbose and descriptive error message, whereas during the
      regression testing they just want to know if any tests failed.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      For a small test modules run time should prevail over compilation time: user don't want to wait a minute to
      compile a test that takes a second to run.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      For long and complex tests users want to be able to see the test progress.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      Simplest tests shouldn't require an external library.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      For long term usage users of a unit test framework should be able to build it as a standalone library.
     </li>
 </ul></div>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> design is based on above rationale and provides versatile facilities to:
   </p>
 <div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="square">
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      Simplify writing test cases by using various <a class="link" href="testing-tools/reference.html" title="The UTF testing tools reference">testing tools</a>.
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
 <a class="link" href="user-guide/test-organization.html" title="Test organization or the house that Jack built">Organize test cases</a> into a test tree.</li>
 <li style="list-style-type: square">
      Relieve you from messy error detection, reporting duties and framework runtime parameters processing.
     </li>
 </ul></div>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> keeps track of all passed/failed testing tools <a class="link" href="user-guide.html#test-assertion.def">assertions</a>,
    provides an ability to check the <a class="link" href="user-guide/test-output/test-progress.html" title="Test progress display">test progress</a>
    and generates a <a class="link" href="user-guide/test-output/results-report.html" title="Test report output">result report</a> in several different
    formats. The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> supplies command line test runners that initialize the framework and run the requested tests.
    Depending on the selected <a class="link" href="compilation.html#utf.compilation.flags" title="Table 3. The UTF compilation flags">compilation flags</a> the function main()
    default implementation, that invoke the supplied test runner, can be generated automatically as well.
   </p>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> is intended to be used both for a simple and non trivial testing. It is not intended to be used with
    production code. In this case the <a href="../under_construction.html" target="_top">Program Execution Monitor</a> is more
    suitable.
   </p>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    Given the largely differing requirements of new and advanced users, it is clear that the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> must provide both
    simple, easy-to-use interfaces with limited customization options and advanced interfaces, which allow unit testing
    to be fully customized. Accordingly the material provided in this documentation is split into two sections:
   </p>
 <div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="upper-roman">
 <li style="list-style-type: upper-roman">
      <a class="link" href="user-guide.html" title="Unit Test Framework: User's guide">The User's Guide</a>: covers all functionality that doesn't require
      knowledge of the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> internals
     </li>
 <li style="list-style-type: upper-roman">
      <a href="../under_construction.html" target="_top">The Advanced User's Guide</a>: covers all implementation details
      required for a user to understand the advanced customization options available in the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym>, and for a user
      interested in extending the testing framework.
     </li>
 </ul></div>
 <p class="first-line-indented">
    For those interested in getting started quickly please visit <a href="../example-toc.html" target="_top">collection of
    examples</a> presented in this documentation.
   </p>
 </div>
 <table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr>
 <td align="left"></td>
 <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2001-2007 Gennadiy Rozental</div></td>
 </tr></table>
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 <a accesskey="p" href="../utf.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/prev.png" alt="Prev"></a><a accesskey="u" href="../utf.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/up.png" alt="Up"></a><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/home.png" alt="Home"></a><a accesskey="n" href="tutorials.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a>
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	<title>Introduction</title>
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	<meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.74.0">
	<link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="Boost Test Library">
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	<td valign="middle" align="left"> > <a href="../utf.html">The Unit Test Framework</a> > <b>Introduction</b>
	</td>
	<td><div class="spirit-nav">
	<a href="../utf.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/prev.png" alt="Prev"></a><a href="tutorials.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a>
	</div></td>
	</tr></table>
	<hr>
	<div class="chapter" lang="en">
	<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title">
	<a name="utf.intro"></a>Introduction</h2></div></div></div>
	<div class="epigraph">
	<p>
	The acceptance test makes the customer satisfied that the software provides the business value that makes them
	willing to pay for it. The unit test makes the programmer satisfied that the software does what the programmer
	thinks it does
	</p>
	<div class="attribution"><span>--<span class="attribution">XP maxim</span></span></div>
	</div>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	What is the first thing you need to do when you start working on new library/class/program? That's right -
	you need to start with the unit test module (I hope you all gave this answer!). Occasional, simple test may be
	implemented using asserts. But any professional developer soon finds this approach lacking. It becomes clear that
	it's too time-consuming and tedious for simple, but repetitive unit testing tasks and it's too inflexible for
	most nontrivial ones.
	</p>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	<em class="firstterm"><a name="utf.def"></a>The Boost Test Library Unit Test Framework</em> (further in the documentation
	referred by the acronym <acronym class="acronym"><a name="utf.def.ref"></a>UTF</acronym>) provides both an easy to use and flexible solution
	to this problem domain: C++ unit test implementation and organization.
	</p>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	Unit testing tasks arise during many different stages of software development: from initial project implementation
	to its maintenance and later revisions. These tasks differ in their complexity and purpose and accordingly are
	approached differently by different developers. The wide spectrum of tasks in a problem domain cause many
	requirements (sometimes conflicting) to be placed on a unit testing framework. These include:
	</p>
	<div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="square">
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	Writing a unit test module should be simple and obvious for new users.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	The framework should allow advanced users to perform nontrivial tests.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	Test module should be able to have many small test cases and developer should be able to group them into test
	suites.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	At the beginning of the development users want to see verbose and descriptive error message, whereas during the
	regression testing they just want to know if any tests failed.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	For a small test modules run time should prevail over compilation time: user don't want to wait a minute to
	compile a test that takes a second to run.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	For long and complex tests users want to be able to see the test progress.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	Simplest tests shouldn't require an external library.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	For long term usage users of a unit test framework should be able to build it as a standalone library.
	</li>
	</ul></div>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> design is based on above rationale and provides versatile facilities to:
	</p>
	<div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="square">
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	Simplify writing test cases by using various <a class="link" href="testing-tools/reference.html" title="The UTF testing tools reference">testing tools</a>.
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	<a class="link" href="user-guide/test-organization.html" title="Test organization or the house that Jack built">Organize test cases</a> into a test tree.</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: square">
	Relieve you from messy error detection, reporting duties and framework runtime parameters processing.
	</li>
	</ul></div>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> keeps track of all passed/failed testing tools <a class="link" href="user-guide.html#test-assertion.def">assertions</a>,
	provides an ability to check the <a class="link" href="user-guide/test-output/test-progress.html" title="Test progress display">test progress</a>
	and generates a <a class="link" href="user-guide/test-output/results-report.html" title="Test report output">result report</a> in several different
	formats. The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> supplies command line test runners that initialize the framework and run the requested tests.
	Depending on the selected <a class="link" href="compilation.html#utf.compilation.flags" title="Table 3. The UTF compilation flags">compilation flags</a> the function main()
	default implementation, that invoke the supplied test runner, can be generated automatically as well.
	</p>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	The <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> is intended to be used both for a simple and non trivial testing. It is not intended to be used with
	production code. In this case the <a href="../under_construction.html" target="_top">Program Execution Monitor</a> is more
	suitable.
	</p>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	Given the largely differing requirements of new and advanced users, it is clear that the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> must provide both
	simple, easy-to-use interfaces with limited customization options and advanced interfaces, which allow unit testing
	to be fully customized. Accordingly the material provided in this documentation is split into two sections:
	</p>
	<div xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" class="itemizedlist"><ul type="upper-roman">
	<li style="list-style-type: upper-roman">
	<a class="link" href="user-guide.html" title="Unit Test Framework: User's guide">The User's Guide</a>: covers all functionality that doesn't require
	knowledge of the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym> internals
	</li>
	<li style="list-style-type: upper-roman">
	<a href="../under_construction.html" target="_top">The Advanced User's Guide</a>: covers all implementation details
	required for a user to understand the advanced customization options available in the <acronym class="acronym">UTF</acronym>, and for a user
	interested in extending the testing framework.
	</li>
	</ul></div>
	<p class="first-line-indented">
	For those interested in getting started quickly please visit <a href="../example-toc.html" target="_top">collection of
	examples</a> presented in this documentation.
	</p>
	</div>
	<table xmlns:rev="http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~gregod/boost/tools/doc/revision" width="100%"><tr>
	<td align="left"></td>
	<td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2001-2007 Gennadiy Rozental</div></td>
	</tr></table>
	<hr>
	<div class="spirit-nav">
	<a accesskey="p" href="../utf.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/prev.png" alt="Prev"></a><a accesskey="u" href="../utf.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/up.png" alt="Up"></a><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/home.png" alt="Home"></a><a accesskey="n" href="tutorials.html"><img src="../../../../../doc/html/images/next.png" alt="Next"></a>
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