SYNOPSIS

  use Test::More 'no_plan';
  use Test::Block qw($Plan);

  {
      # This block should run exactly two tests
      local $Plan = 2;
      pass 'first test';
      # oops. forgot second test
  };

  SKIP: {
      local $Plan = 3;
      pass('first test in second block');
      skip "skip remaining tests" => $Plan;
  };

  ok( Test::Block->all_in_block, 'all test run in blocks' );
  is( Test::Block->block_count, 2, 'two blocks ran' );

  # This produces...

  ok 1 - first test
  not ok 2 - block expected 2 test(s) and ran 1
  #     Failed test (foo.pl at line 6)
  ok 3 - first test in second block
  ok 4 # skip skip remaining tests
  ok 5 # skip skip remaining tests
  ok 6 - all test run in blocks
  ok 7 - two blocks ran
  1..7
  # Looks like you failed 1 tests of 7.

DESCRIPTION

\s-1NOTE:\s0 This module was written before subtests existed in \s-1TAP\s0 and Test::More. These days subtests will probably be a better option for you.

This module allows you to specify the number of expected tests at a finer level of granularity than an entire test script. It is built with Test::Builder and plays happily with Test::More and friends.

If you are not already familiar with Test::More now would be the time to go take a look.

Creating test blocks

Test::Block supplies a special variable $Plan that you can localize to specify the number of tests in a block like this:

use Test::More 'no_plan'; use Test::Block qw($Plan);

{ local $Plan = 2; pass('first test'); pass('second test'); };

What if the block runs a different number of tests?

If a block doesn't run the number of tests specified in $Plan then Test::Block will automatically produce a failing test. For example:

{ local $Plan = 2; pass('first test'); # oops - forgot second test };

will output

ok 1 - first test not ok 2 - block 1 expected 2 test(s) and ran 1

Tracking the number of remaining tests

During the execution of a block $Plan will contain the number of remaining tests that are expected to run so:

{ local $Plan = 2; diag "$Plan tests to run"; pass('first test'); diag "$Plan tests to run"; pass('second test'); diag "$Plan tests to run"; };

will produce

# 2 tests to run ok 1 - first test # 1 tests to run ok 2 - second test # 0 tests to run

This can make skip blocks easier to write and maintain, for example:

SKIP: { local $Plan = 5; pass('first test'); pass('second test'); skip "debug tests" => $Plan unless DEBUG > 0; pass('third test'); pass('fourth test'); skip "high level debug tests" => $Plan unless DEBUG > 2; pass('fifth test'); };

Named blocks

To make debugging easier you can give your blocks an optional name like this:

{ local $Plan = { example => 2 }; pass('first test'); # oops - forgot second test };

which would output

ok 1 - first test not ok 2 - block example expected 2 test(s) and ran 1

Test::Block objects

The $Plan is implemented using a tied variable that stores and retrieves Test::Block objects. If you want to avoid the tied interface you can use Test::Block objects directly.

plan

# create a block expecting 4 tests my $block = Test::Block->plan(4);

# create a named block with two tests my $block = Test::Block->plan('test name' => 2); You create Test::Block objects with the \*(C`plan\*(C' method. When the object is destroyed it outputs a failing test if the expected number of tests have not run.

remaining

You can find out the number of remaining tests in the block by calling the \*(C`remaining\*(C' method on the object. Test::Block objects overload "" and \*(C`0+\*(C' to return the result of the remaining method.

builder

Returns Test::Builder object used by Test::Block. For example: Test::Block->builder->skip('skip a test'); See Test::Builder for more information.

block_count

A class method that returns the number of blocks that have been created. You can use this to check that the expected number of blocks have run by doing something like: is( Test::Block->block_count, 5, 'five blocks run' ); at the end of your test script.

all_in_block

Returns true if all tests so far run have been inside the scope of a Test::Block object. ok( Test::Block->all_in_block, 'all tests run in blocks' );

BUGS

None known at the time of writing.

If you find any please let me know by e-mail, or report the problem with <http://rt.cpan.org/>.

COMMUNITY

perl-qa

If you are interested in testing using Perl I recommend you visit <http://qa.perl.org/> and join the excellent perl-qa mailing list. See http://lists.perl.org/showlist.cgi?name=perl-qa <http://lists.perl.org/showlist.cgi?name=perl-qa> for details on how to subscribe.

perlmonks

You can find users of Test::Block, including the module author, on <http://www.perlmonks.org/>. Feel free to ask questions on Test::Block there.

CPAN::Forum

The \s-1CPAN\s0 Forum is a web forum for discussing Perl's \s-1CPAN\s0 modules. The Test::Block forum can be found at http://www.cpanforum.com/dist/Test-Block <http://www.cpanforum.com/dist/Test-Block>.

AnnoCPAN

AnnoCPAN is a web site that allows community annotations of Perl module documentation. The Test::Block annotations can be found at http://annocpan.org/~ADIE/Test-Block/ <http://annocpan.org/~ADIE/Test-Block/>.

TO DO

If you think this module should do something that it doesn't (or does something that it shouldn't) please let me know.

You can see my current to do list at <http://adrianh.tadalist.com/lists/public/15423>, with an \s-1RSS\s0 feed of changes at <http://adrianh.tadalist.com/lists/feed_public/15423>.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks to chromatic and Michael G Schwern for the excellent Test::Builder, without which this module wouldn't be possible.

Thanks to Michael G Schwern and Tony Bowden for the mails on [email protected] that sparked the idea for this module. Thanks to Fergal Daly for suggesting named blocks. Thanks to Michael G Schwern for suggesting $Plan. Thanks to Nadim Khemir for feedback and Andreas Koenig for spotting bugs.

AUTHOR

Adrian Howard <[email protected]>

If you can spare the time, please drop me a line if you find this module useful.

RELATED TO Test::Block…

Test::Group

A framework for grouping related tests in a test suite

Test::Class

Test::Class is an xUnit testing framework for Perl. It allows you to group tests into methods with independent test plans.

Test::Builder

Support module for building test libraries.

Test::Simple & Test::More

Basic utilities for writing tests.

http://qa.perl.org/test-modules.html <http://qa.perl.org/test-modules.html>

Overview of some of the many testing modules available on \s-1CPAN\s0.

LICENCE

Copyright 2003-2006 Adrian Howard, All Rights Reserved.

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