UsingBoostTest.md

Using Approval Tests With Boost.Test

Contents

• Introduction
• Requirements
• Getting Started With Boost.Test
  • Adding ApprovalTests to your Boost.Test
    • Understanding Boost.Test Entry points
• Code to copy for your first Boost.Test Approvals test

Introduction

The Boost.Test test framework works well with Approval Tests.

Note: this document assumes the reader is familiar with the Boost.Test framework.

Requirements

Approval Tests for Boost.Test requires that you specify the #include <.../unit_test.hpp>
This allows ApprovalTests to work with all the different configurations of boost.

Approval Tests needs Boost.Test version 1.60.0 or above.

Getting Started With Boost.Test

Adding ApprovalTests to your Boost.Test

To enable any Boost.Test test files to use ApprovalTests, find the corresponding entry point and
add the following lines of code to your Test module's entry point after the boost headers:

// test_entry_point.cpp file[s] (after #including boost.test)
#define APPROVALS_BOOSTTEST
#include "ApprovalTests.hpp"

^{snippet source | anchor}

Understanding Boost.Test Entry points

A directory of Boost.Test source files can either have multiple or a single entry point[s]. The entry point is any file that will contain the line:

#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE ModuleName

^{snippet source | anchor}

Code to copy for your first Boost.Test Approvals test

Here is sample code to create your main() function, to set up Approval Tests' Boost.Test integration.

We called this file boost_starter_main.cpp:

#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE ModuleName

//#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp> // static or dynamic boost build
#include <boost/test/included/unit_test.hpp> // header only boost

#define APPROVALS_BOOSTTEST
#include "ApprovalTests.hpp"

// This puts "received" and "approved" files in approval_tests/ sub-directory,
// keeping the test source directory tidy:
auto directoryDisposer =
    ApprovalTests::Approvals::useApprovalsSubdirectory("approval_tests");

^{snippet source | anchor}

Here is sample code to create your first test. We called this file boost_starter_test.cpp:

#define BOOST_TEST_INCLUDED
#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>

#include "ApprovalTests.hpp"

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(SuiteName)
BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestCaseName)
{
    ApprovalTests::Approvals::verify(42);
}
BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()

^{snippet source | anchor}

And finally, here is sample code to put in your CMakeLists.txt file:

set(EXE_NAME boost_starter)
set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 11)

find_package(Boost 1.60.0 COMPONENTS REQUIRED)
if (NOT Boost_FOUND)
    message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot find Boost libraries")
endif ()

include_directories(SYSTEM ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS})

add_executable(${EXE_NAME}
        boost_starter_main.cpp
        boost_starter_test.cpp
        )
target_link_libraries(${EXE_NAME} ApprovalTests::ApprovalTests ${Boost_LIBRARIES})

add_test(NAME ${EXE_NAME} COMMAND ${EXE_NAME})

^{snippet source | anchor}

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