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26 <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
27 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary"></a><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html" title="Glossary">Glossary</a>
28 </h2></div></div></div>
30 Here is the list of terms used throughout this documentation.
32 <a name="ref_test_module"></a><h4>
33 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h0"></a>
34 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_module"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_module">Test
38 This is a single binary that performs the test. Physically a test module consists
39 of one or more test source files, which can be built into an executable or
40 a dynamic library. A test module that consists of a single test source file
41 is called <span class="emphasis"><em>single-file test module</em></span>. Otherwise it's called
42 <span class="emphasis"><em>multi-file test module</em></span>. Logically, each test module consists
45 <div class="orderedlist"><ol class="orderedlist" type="1">
47 <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_setup">test setup</a> (or test initialization),
50 <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_body">test body</a>
53 <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_cleanup">test cleanup</a>
56 <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_runner">test runner</a>
60 The test runner part is optional. If a test module is built as an executable,
61 the test runner is built-in. If a test module is built as a dynamic library,
62 it is run by an <a class="link" href="adv_scenarios/external_test_runner.html" title="The external test runner usage variant">external
65 <div class="warning"><table border="0" summary="Warning">
67 <td rowspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width="25"><img alt="[Warning]" src="../../../../../doc/src/images/warning.png"></td>
68 <th align="left">Warning</th>
70 <tr><td align="left" valign="top"><p>
71 The test module should have at least one test-case defined, otherwise it
72 is considered as an error.
75 <a name="test_body"></a><h4>
76 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h1"></a>
77 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_body"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_body">Test
81 This is the part of a test module that actually performs the test. Logically
82 test body is a collection of <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_assertion">test assertions</a>
83 wrapped in <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_case">test cases</a>, which are organized
84 in a <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#ref_test_tree">test tree</a>.
86 <a name="ref_test_tree"></a><h4>
87 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h2"></a>
88 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_tree"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_tree">Test
92 This is a hierarchical structure of <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_suite">test suites</a>
93 (non-leaf nodes) and <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_case">test cases</a> (leaf nodes).
94 More details can be found <a class="link" href="tests_organization.html" title="Declaring and organizing tests">here</a>.
96 <a name="ref_test_unit"></a><h4>
97 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h3"></a>
98 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_unit"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_unit">Test
102 This is a collective name when referred to either a <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_suite">test
103 suite</a> or <a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#test_case">test cases</a>. See <a class="link" href="tests_organization.html" title="Declaring and organizing tests">this
104 section</a> for more details.
106 <a name="test_assertion"></a><h4>
107 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h4"></a>
108 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_assertion"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_assertion">Test
112 This is a single binary condition (binary in a sense that is has two outcomes:
113 pass and fail) checked by a test module.
116 There are different schools of thought on how many test assertions a test case
117 should consist of. Two polar positions are the one advocated by TDD followers
118 - one assertion per test case; and opposite of this - all test assertions within
119 single test case - advocated by those only interested in the first error in
120 a test module. The <span class="emphasis"><em>Unit Test Framework</em></span> supports both approaches.
122 <a name="test_case"></a><h4>
123 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h5"></a>
124 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_case"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_case">Test
128 This is an independently monitored function within a test module that consists
129 of one or more test assertions. The term <span class="emphasis"><em>independently monitored</em></span>
130 in the definition above is used to emphasize the fact, that all test cases
131 are monitored independently. An uncaught exception or other normal test case
132 execution termination doesn't cause the testing to cease. Instead the error
133 is caught by the test case execution monitor, reported by the <span class="emphasis"><em>Unit
134 Test Framework</em></span> and testing proceeds to the next test case. Later
135 on you are going to see that this is on of the primary reasons to prefer multiple
136 small test cases to a single big test function.
138 <a name="test_suite"></a><h4>
139 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h6"></a>
140 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_suite"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_suite">Test
144 This is a container for one or more test cases. The test suite gives you an
145 ability to group test cases into a single referable entity. There are various
146 reasons why you may opt to do so, including:
148 <div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; ">
149 <li class="listitem">
150 To group test cases per subsystems of the unit being tested.
152 <li class="listitem">
153 To share test case setup/cleanup code.
155 <li class="listitem">
156 To run selected group of test cases only.
158 <li class="listitem">
159 To see test report split by groups of test cases.
161 <li class="listitem">
162 To skip groups of test cases based on the result of another test unit in
167 A test suite can also contain other test suites, thus allowing a hierarchical
168 test tree structure to be formed. The <span class="emphasis"><em>Unit Test Framework</em></span>
169 requires the test tree to contain at least one test suite with at least one
170 test case. The top level test suite - root node of the test tree - is called
171 the master test suite.
173 <a name="test_setup"></a><h4>
174 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h7"></a>
175 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_setup"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_setup">Test
179 This is the part of a test module that is responsible for the test preparation.
180 It includes the following operations that take place prior to a start of the
183 <div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" style="list-style-type: disc; ">
184 <li class="listitem">
185 The <span class="emphasis"><em>Unit Test Framework</em></span> initialization
187 <li class="listitem">
188 Test tree construction
190 <li class="listitem">
191 Global test module setup code
193 <li class="listitem">
194 <span class="emphasis"><em>Per test case</em></span> setup code, invoked for every test case
195 it's assigned to, is also attributed to the test initialization, even though
196 it's executed as a part of the test case.
199 <a name="test_cleanup"></a><h4>
200 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h8"></a>
201 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_cleanup"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_cleanup">Test
205 This is the part of test module that is responsible for cleanup operations.
207 <a name="test_fixture"></a><h4>
208 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h9"></a>
209 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_fixture"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_fixture">Test
213 Matching setup and cleanup operations are frequently united into a single entity
216 <a name="test_runner"></a><h4>
217 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h10"></a>
218 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_runner"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_runner">Test
222 This is an <span class="emphasis"><em>orchestrator</em></span> or a <span class="emphasis"><em>driver</em></span>
223 that, given the test tree, ensures the test tree is initialized, tests are
224 executed and necessary reports generated. For more information <a class="link" href="adv_scenarios/test_module_runner_overview.html" title="Test module runner">see
227 <a name="test_log"></a><h4>
228 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h11"></a>
229 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_log"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_log">Test
233 This is the record of all events that occur during the testing.
235 <a name="test_report"></a><h4>
236 <a name="boost_test.section_glossary.h12"></a>
237 <span class="phrase"><a name="boost_test.section_glossary.test_report"></a></span><a class="link" href="section_glossary.html#boost_test.section_glossary.test_report">Test
241 This is the report produced by the <span class="emphasis"><em>Unit Test Framework</em></span>
242 after the testing is completed, that indicates which test cases/test suites
243 passed and which failed.
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248 <td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2001-2019 Boost.Test
250 Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
251 file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>)
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