Test::Script

Basic cross-platform tests for scripts

SYNOPSIS

use Test2::V0;
use Test::Script;

script_compiles('script/myscript.pl');
script_runs(['script/myscript.pl', '--my-argument']);

program_runs(['ls', '/dev']);

done_testing;

DESCRIPTION

The intent of this module is to provide a series of basic tests for 80% of the testing you will need to do for scripts in the script (or bin as is also commonly used) paths of your Perl distribution.

It also provides similar functions for testing programs that are not Perl scripts.

Further, it aims to provide this functionality with perfect platform-compatibility, and in a way that is as unobtrusive as possible.

That is, if the program works on a platform, then Test::Script should always work on that platform as well. Anything less than 100% is considered unacceptable.

In doing so, it is hoped that Test::Script can become a module that you can safely make a dependency of all your modules, without risking that your module won’t install on some platform because of the dependency.

Where a clash exists between wanting more functionality and maintaining platform safety, this module will err on the side of platform safety.

FUNCTIONS

script_compiles

[version 1.05]

script_compiles( $script, $test_name );

The “script_compiles” test calls the script with “perl -c script.pl”, and checks that it returns without error.

The path it should be passed is a relative Unix-format script name. This will be localised when running perl -c and if the test fails the local name used will be shown in the diagnostic output.

Note also that the test will be run with the same perl interpreter that is running the test script (and not with the default system perl). This will also be shown in the diagnostic output on failure.

script_runs

[version 1.05]

script_runs( $script, $test_name );
script_runs( \@script_and_arguments, $test_name );
script_runs( $script, \%options, $test_name );
script_runs( \@script_and_arguments, \%options, $test_name );

The “script_runs” test executes the script with “perl script.pl” and checks that it returns success.

The path it should be passed is a relative unix-format script name. This will be localised when running perl -c and if the test fails the local name used will be shown in the diagnostic output.

The test will be run with the same perl interpreter that is running the test script (and not with the default system perl). This will also be shown in the diagnostic output on failure.

[version 1.09]

You may pass in options as a hash as the second argument (as of version 1.09).

• exit

  The expected exit value. The default is to use whatever indicates success on your platform (usually 0).

• interpreter_options

  [version 1.25]

  Array reference of Perl options to be passed to the interpreter. Things like -w or -x can be passed this way. This may be either a single string or an array reference.

• signal

  The expected signal. The default is 0. Use with care! This may not be portable, and is known not to work on Windows.

• stdin

  The input to be passed into the script via stdin. The value may be one of

  • simple scalar

    Is considered to be a filename.

  • scalar reference

    In which case the input will be drawn from the data contained in the referenced scalar.

  The behavior for any other types is undefined (the current implementation uses Capture::Tiny). Any already opened stdin will be closed.

• stdout

  Where to send the standard output to. If you use this option, then the the behavior of the script_stdout_ functions below are undefined. The value may be one of

  • simple scalar

    Is considered to be a filename.

  • scalar reference

  In which case the standard output will be places into the referenced scalar

  The behavior for any other types is undefined (the current implementation uses Capture::Tiny).

• stderr

  Same as stdout above, except for stderr.

script_fails

[ version 1.28 ]

script_fails $script, { exit => $expected_exit }, $test_name );
script_fails $script, \%options, $test_name;

“script_runs” may be invoked as “script_fails”. The exit option is mandatory when used this way. Since Perl 5.12, die usually returns 255, but does not promise to do so. Fatal errors like divide by 0 also return 255 often so it is not the best error code for a trapped exception. script_runs needs an exit code it considers success, use warn; exit; instead of die.

script_stdout_is

[version 1.09]

script_stdout_is $expected_stdout, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “script_runs” matches the expected value exactly.

script_stdout_isnt

[version 1.09]

script_stdout_is $expected_stdout, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “script_runs” does NOT match the expected value exactly.

script_stdout_like

[version 1.09]

script_stdout_like $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “script_runs” matches the regular expression.

script_stdout_unlike

[version 1.09]

script_stdout_unlike $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “script_runs” does NOT match the regular expression.

script_stderr_is

[version 1.09]

script_stderr_is $expected_stderr, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “script_runs” matches the expected value exactly.

script_stderr_isnt

[version 1.09]

script_stderr_is $expected_stderr, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “script_runs” does NOT match the expected value exactly.

script_stderr_like

[version 1.09]

script_stderr_like $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “script_runs” matches the regular expression.

script_stderr_unlike

[version 1.09]

script_stderr_unlike $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “script_runs” does NOT match the regular expression.

program_runs

[version 1.26]

program_runs( $program, $test_name );
program_runs( \@program_and_arguments, $test_name );
program_runs( $program, \%options, $test_name );
program_runs( \@program_and_arguments, \%options, $test_name );

The “program_runs” test executes the given program and checks that it returns success. This function works like “script_runs” except:

• The path $program or @program_and_arguments is passed as-is to system(). This means program_runs can test any program, not just Perl scripts.
• The %options do not support the interpreter_options key.

See File::Spec or Path::Class for routines useful in building pathnames in a cross-platform way.

program_fails

[ version 1.28 ]

program_fails $program, { exit => $expected_exit }, $test_name;
program_fails $program, \%options, $test_name;

“program_runs” may be invoked as “program_fails”. “program_fails” needs to know the expected exit value, so exit becomes a required option.

program_stdout_is

[version 1.26]

program_stdout_is $expected_stdout, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “program_runs” matches the expected value exactly.

program_stdout_isnt

[version 1.26]

program_stdout_is $expected_stdout, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “program_runs” does NOT match the expected value exactly.

program_stdout_like

[version 1.26]

program_stdout_like $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “program_runs” matches the regular expression.

program_stdout_unlike

[version 1.26]

program_stdout_unlike $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stdout from the previous “program_runs” does NOT match the regular expression.

program_stderr_is

[version 1.26]

program_stderr_is $expected_stderr, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “program_runs” matches the expected value exactly.

program_stderr_isnt

[version 1.26]

program_stderr_is $expected_stderr, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “program_runs” does NOT match the expected value exactly.

program_stderr_like

[version 1.26]

program_stderr_like $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “program_runs” matches the regular expression.

program_stderr_unlike

[version 1.26]

program_stderr_unlike $regex, $test_name;

Tests if the output to stderr from the previous “program_runs” does NOT match the regular expression.

CAVEATS

This module is fully supported back to Perl 5.8.1.

The STDIN handle will be closed when using script_runs with the stdin option. An older version used IPC::Run3, which attempted to save STDIN, but apparently this cannot be done consistently or portably. We now use Capture::Tiny instead and explicitly do not support saving STDIN handles.

SEE ALSO

Test::Script::Run, Test2::Suite

AUTHOR

Original author: Adam Kennedy

Current maintainer: Graham Ollis plicease@cpan.org

Contributors:

Brendan Byrd

Chris White cxw@cpan.org

John Karr (BRAINBUZ)

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2006-2024 by Adam Kennedy.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.