Add unit testing to a gtk C application

Platform
#1

Hi,

I would like to add testing to a project that use glib in C.

I found GLib – 2.0: Testing Framework
I’m using glib version installed on my system: libglib2.0-dev:amd64 2.64.6-1~ubuntu20.04.4

I found /usr/share/automake-1.16/tap-driver.sh
But I didn’t found none of glib-tap.mk nor tap-test file mentioned in the doc.
I did look into git cloned repository: HEAD detached at 2.64.6 not here.

It seems to have been removed at some point. was here in version 2.58
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/commits/glib-2-58/glib-tap.mk

How does it work, now?
Could you give me to useful links?
Or could someone point me to some code repository with some test suite already in place?

I would add non-regression automated tests on some complex data structure manipulation involving double linked list and a dynamic array of index pointing to list element. It is not for GUI testing.

Regards,
Sylvain.

#2

We strongly encourage you to use Meson, instead of Autotools.

Nevertheless, the various Autotools-related files shouldn’t have been removed, just like we didn’t remove the m4 macros.

In any case, you can effectively download the glib-tap.mk and tap-test files from the 2.58 tag: they have not been changed, and won’t ever be changed anyway. The tap-driver.sh script from Automake can be re-used.

When using Meson, we use the test function with a binary built using the GLib testing API, using the protocol: 'tap' argument. GLib’s testing API defaults to the Test Anything Protocol for its output, and Meson has a native TAP harness.

1 Like
#3

Hi @ebassi,

Thanks for the detail.

The project I’m modifying is autotools based, so that was my concern to keep it “simple”.
But it won’t be simple. :thinking:

Could you update the glib documentation about testing with link to the correct source file?
I mean add URL link to the removed files: glib-tap.mk, tap-test and tap-driver.sh. + add a deprecation warning.

Should I contribute and edit that myself somewhere?

I will explore more, thanks.

I wish I could post URL to help other reader but discourse is blocking my new user, you will have copy them manually.

My learning path will be:

  • meson building suite: your link above
  • a sample of code using glib C + meson + testing: (may be some example in the glib test folder?)
  • may be a sample a code using glib C + autotools + tap testing (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19958861/how-to-properly-set-up-glib-testing-framework-with-autotools 6 years old answer you already produced :wink: )
  • autotools may be: (https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/html_node/Use-TAP-with-the-Automake-test-harness.html (may be deprecated or mandatory within the project I’m modifying)
  • migration from autotools to meson: Porting from Autotools

Regards,
Sylvain.

#4

This was already done 2 years ago, so it seems that there’s a problem in rendering the links in the new version of the documentation. @ebassi, any ideas? Is GLib doing something invalid in Markdown?

#5

No, I think I just missed out the links when I turned the documentation into a separate markdown file for docs.gtk.org.

The links should now be fixed; the online docs will update at the end of the CI pipeline.

#6

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