.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
-========================================
-The Kernel Test Anything Protocol (KTAP)
-========================================
+===================================================
+The Kernel Test Anything Protocol (KTAP), version 1
+===================================================
TAP, or the Test Anything Protocol is a format for specifying test results used
by a number of projects. It's website and specification are found at this `link
the four formats for lines described above. This is allowed, however, they will
not influence the status of the tests.
+This is an important difference from TAP. Kernel tests may print messages
+to the system console or a log file. Both of these destinations may contain
+messages either from unrelated kernel or userspace activity, or kernel
+messages from non-test code that is invoked by the test. The kernel code
+invoked by the test likely is not aware that a test is in progress and
+thus can not print the message as a diagnostic message.
+
Nested tests
------------
result. If one of the subtests fail, for example, the parent test should also
fail.
-Additionally, all result lines in a subtest should be indented. One level of
+Additionally, all lines in a subtest should be indented. One level of
indentation is two spaces: " ". The indentation should begin at the version
line and should end before the parent test's result line.
+"Unknown lines" are not considered to be lines in a subtest and thus are
+allowed to be either indented or not indented.
+
An example of a test with two nested subtests:
.. code-block::
Major differences between TAP and KTAP
--------------------------------------
-Note the major differences between the TAP and KTAP specification:
-- yaml and json are not recommended in diagnostic messages
-- TODO directive not recognized
-- KTAP allows for an arbitrary number of tests to be nested
+================================================== ========= ===============
+Feature TAP KTAP
+================================================== ========= ===============
+yaml and json in diagnosic message ok not recommended
+TODO directive ok not recognized
+allows an arbitrary number of tests to be nested no yes
+"Unknown lines" are in category of "Anything else" yes no
+"Unknown lines" are incorrect allowed
+================================================== ========= ===============
The TAP14 specification does permit nested tests, but instead of using another
nested version line, uses a line of the form