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| <a name="utf.usage-recommendations.generic"></a>Generic usage recommendations</h4></div></div></div> |
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| <dt> <a href="generic.html#id663440"> |
| Prefer offline compiled libraries to the inline included components |
| </a> |
| </dt> |
| <dt> <a href="generic.html#id663471"> |
| If you use only free function based test cases advance to the automatic registration facility |
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| <dt> <a href="generic.html#id663496"> |
| To find location of first error reported by test tool within reused template function, use special hook within |
| framework headers |
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| </dt> |
| <dt> <a href="generic.html#id663542"> |
| To test reusable template base component with different template parameter use test case template facility |
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| <dt> <a href="generic.html#id663600"> |
| Prefer BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL to BOOST_CHECK |
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| <a name="id663440"></a><a name="id663443"></a> |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"><b><p> |
| Prefer offline compiled libraries to the inline included components |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"><p class="first-line-indented"> |
| If you are just want to write quick simple test in environment where you never used Boost.Test before - yes, |
| use included components. But if you plan to use Boost.Test on permanent basis, small investment of time needed |
| to build (if not build yet), install and change you makefiles/project settings will soon return to you in a |
| form of shorter compilation time. Why do you need to make your compiler do the same work over and over again? |
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| <a name="id663471"></a><a name="id663473"></a> |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"><b><p> |
| If you use only free function based test cases advance to the automatic registration facility |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"><p class="first-line-indented"> |
| It's really easy to switch to automatic registration. And you don't need to worry about forgotten test case |
| anymore |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"> |
| <a name="id663496"></a><a name="id663498"></a> |
| </td> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"><b><p> |
| To find location of first error reported by test tool within reused template function, use special hook within |
| framework headers |
| </p></b></td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr class="answer"> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"></td> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"><p class="first-line-indented"> |
| In some cases you are reusing the same template based code from within one test case (actually I recommend |
| better solution in such case- see below). Now if an error gets reported by the test tool within that reused |
| code you may have difficulty locating were exactly error occurred. To address this issue you could either a add |
| <a class="link" href="../user-guide/test-output/BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE.html" title="BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE">BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE</a> statements in |
| templated code that log current type id of template parameters or you can use special hook located in |
| unit_test_result.hpp called first_failed_assertion(). If you set a breakpoint right on the line where this |
| function is defined you will be able to unroll the stack and see where error actually occurred. |
| </p></td> |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"> |
| <a name="id663542"></a><a name="id663545"></a> |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"><b><p> |
| To test reusable template base component with different template parameter use test case template facility |
| </p></b></td> |
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| <tr class="answer"> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"></td> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"> |
| <p class="first-line-indented"> |
| If you writing unit test for generic reusable component you may have a need to test it against set of different |
| template parameter types . Most probably you will end up with a code like this: |
| </p> |
| <pre class="programlisting">template<typename TestType> |
| void |
| specific_type_test( TestType* = 0 ) |
| { |
| MyComponent<TestType> c; |
| ... // here we perform actual testing |
| } |
| |
| void my_component_test() |
| { |
| specific_type_test( (int*)0 ); |
| specific_type_test( (float*)0 ); |
| specific_type_test( (UDT*)0 ); |
| ... |
| } |
| </pre> |
| <p class="first-line-indented"> |
| This is namely the situation where you would use test case template facility. It not only simplifies this kind |
| of unit testing by automating some of the work, in addition every argument type gets tested separately under |
| unit test monitor. As a result if one of types produce exception or non-fatal error you may still continue and |
| get results from testing with other types. |
| </p> |
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| <td align="left" valign="top"> |
| <a name="id663600"></a><a name="id663603"></a> |
| </td> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"><b><p> |
| Prefer BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL to BOOST_CHECK |
| </p></b></td> |
| </tr> |
| <tr class="answer"> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"></td> |
| <td align="left" valign="top"><p class="first-line-indented"> |
| Even though BOOSK_CHECK tool is most generic and allows validating any bool convertible expression, I would |
| recommend using, if possible, more specific tools dedicated to the task. For example if you need you validate |
| some variable vs. some expected value use BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL instead. The main advantage is that in case of |
| failure you will see the mismatched value - the information most useful for error identification. The same |
| applies to other tools supplied by the framework. |
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| <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2001-2007 Gennadiy Rozental</div></td> |
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