test name description args ...

Available in molt test scripts only!

The test command executes its body as a Molt script and compares its result to an expected value. It may be used to test Molt commands, whether built-in or coded in Molt. The expected value may be an -ok result or an -error message.

The name and description are used to identify the test in the output. The name can be any string, but the convention is to use the format "baseName-x.y", e.g., mycommand-1.1. In the future, molt test will allow the user to filter the set of tests on this name string.

The test is executed in its own local variable scope; variables used by the test will be cleaned up automatically at the end of the test. The global command may be used to reference global variables; however, changes to these must be cleaned up explicitly. Similarly, any procs defined by the test must be cleaned up explicitly.

The test command has two forms, a brief form and an extended form with more options.

test name description body -ok|-error expectedValue

In the brief form, the body is the test script itself; and it is expected to return a normal result or an error message. Either way, expectedValue is the expected value.

• The test passes if the body returns the right kind of result with the expected value.
• The test fails if the body returns the right kind of result (e.g., -ok) with some other value.
• The test is in error if the body returns the wrong kind of result, (e.g., an error was returned when a normal result was expected).

test name description option value ?option value ...?

In the extended form, the details of the test are specified using options:

• -setup: indicates a setup script, which will be executed before the body of the test. The test is flagged as an error if the setup script returns anything but a normal result.

• -body: indicates the test's body, which is interpreted as described above.

• -cleanup: indicates a cleanup script, which will be executed after the body of the test. The test is flagged as an error if the cleanup script returns anything but a normal result.

• -ok | -error: indicates the expected value, as described above.

Examples

The following tests are for an imaginary square command that returns the square of a number. They use the brief form.

test square-1.1 {square errors} {
    square
} -error {wrong # args: should be "square number"}

test square-2.1 {square command} {
    square 3
} -ok {9}

The following test shows the extended form:

test newproc-1.1 {new proc} -setup {
    # Define a proc for use in the test
    proc myproc {} { return "called myproc" }
} -body {
    # Call the proc
    myproc
} -cleanup {
    # Clean up the proc
    rename myproc ""
} -error {called myproc}

TCL Notes

This command is a simplified version of the test command defined by Standard TCL's tcltest(n) framework. The intention is to increase the similarity over time.

This command has an enhancement over TCL's test command: the test has its own local variable scope, just as a proc does. The body must use the global command to access global variables.