Unit Test Framework

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 Definition

• Test a software unit, the most little.

àIn C the function, java : method.

• To create an unit test you need to write code, it is

called a test harness. The necessary code may be
important.

• Unit test framework make it more easy and less

costly.

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 definition

A • If you want to test

function C your test
B C
harness need to call
function C and mock
function D and E.
D E

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 Sample

• Here the function:

• Which tests would you write to test it?

• By the way, it is a good idea write unit test by
reading the code?

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 Unit Test methodologies
• Defined within agile approach like XP:
– Write the test before coding.
– TDD

• Defined by standard like DO-178B (aeronautic

industry)
– Write the test after coding or at same time and
check with code coverage efficiency of unit test.

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 Unit test methodology :Test Driven Development

Advantages:
• Specify before coding thanks unit test.
• Get testable code.
• Refactor code.
• Get trust in your code.
• Get clean and simple code.
 TDD

• Test First is a development practice

introduced by eXtreme Programming (XP)

Develop a test script

visual fonction/method usage
Run test that fails
Create the initial function/method and
nothing else (minimum)
Run test that should success now

Add a new test

Run test that fails
Modify function/method so that it meets
requirement implemented by test
Run test that should success now
…
 TDD
PROs
– Code only what you need (XP)
– Unit tests describe what the component achieve
in term of functionalies
– Unit test could be used as component
documentation
CONST
- Design may need to evoluate when you add new
tests
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 Unit test and standard

• Aeronautic industry:
– Requirement based testing
– Use of test techniques is MANDATORY
• Equivalent classes combined with limit values testing
• Decision table
– Depending on criticality level a specific code
coverage level will be required.
– Depending on criticality level independence may
be required (developer won’t test his own code)

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Unit test and standard
Low Level
Requirement

Test Design Code Design

Development of
Test Writing
component

And maybe
Test execution
Bugs
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 UNIT TEST METHODOLOGY
• With TDD the test helps you to develop.
• With standard the test is used to criticize your
code.

• Agile approach has a more « positive » use of

the test.

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 Unit test

– Set UP: set up of test environment (ex mocks

…)
– Exercice : make an action (call a method)
– Verify: control the result of the action
– Teardown : clean and extra check
• 3As
– Arrange (set up)
– Act (exercice)
– Assert (verify)
 Set UP

• What should I do before doing unit test on

function computePrice:

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 Exercise/Assert
• Assertion are used to make comparison.
• Depending on the result the status of the test
will be:
– FAIL
– PASS
There are specific assertion depending of the
type of object you want to compare.

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 SAMPLE

Here you compare two floating object. As float are not

exactly represented you need to add a epsilon (third
parameter).

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 Specific assertion
• You have specific framework like dbunit that
helps you to compare table for example:

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 Tear Down
• Mainly used for:
– Clean the test environment (often done also in set
up).
– Do extra checks

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 Set Up/ Tear Down
• Avoid duplication of code.
• Test is more clear.
• You can also have set up and tear down for a
set of tests:

Why are the

method static?

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 Unit test

• In a test suite each unit should be

independent (no order).
• This can be achieved by:
à SetUp
à Tear Down
à mock instead of real method
If you don’t use a mock but call
another method what type of test are
you doing?
 Refactoring

If you want to refactor yours test you need unit test :

Advantages of refactoring:
• Reduce code complexity
• Reduce coupling
• Make code more readable
• Make it easy for future evolution
• Reduce maintainability cost
• Use of Design Patterns
When refactoring :
• In case of code duplication
• Too long method/function
• Method/function that have several responsibilities
• …
 Pre-Requisite
• Before going to integration test, components
have to be tested before.
• Why ?

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 CI
• Unit test are integrated in CI to
– Get visibility
– Gather results
– Get an overview on component quality
– Be used as a criteria for going to integration test

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 SONAR DASHBOARD
• Unit Test results can also be integrated in a
« quality dasboard », like sonar dashboard:

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 Unit Test : technologies

• Frameworks : Xunit
• Junit pour java
• PhpUnit pour php
• GoogleTest, cppUnit pour C++
• NUNIT pour C#
• …

• Offer specific tools for unit testing:

– Set Up and TearDown
– Assertion
– Result formatting
 Unit Test framework:

• Cmocka
– Unit test framework offering also the feature of
mocking(Mock).
• Multi platform + embedded software
• Features
– Standard Assertion
– Fixtures ( setUp and TearDown)
– Mock (call order, parameter check)
– Different result output
 Unit Test sample

Assertion

Adding test to test suite

XML formatted result

Group test is executed with a

Toto is the name of testsuite set Up and a teardown

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 Unit: How to

1. Creation of one or several testcase as

function
2. Add the function in a table
3. Run the tests contained in table

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 Tests Unitaires : assertions

https://api.cmocka.org/group__cmocka__asserts.html

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 Unit test: macros

https://api.cmocka.org/group__cmocka__exec.html

There are other macros but there are deprecated.

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 Macros: Use

• The macros c_unit_test_* allows you to add

testcase with or without setUp procedure.

• SetupTest1 will be executed once before test1.

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 Unit Tests : execution

https://api.cmocka.org/group__cmocka__exec.html

Setup and teardown are executed at beginning and end

of test suites.
à Common actions used by all the tests in the group.

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 Cmocka: skip and fail

• Fail:

• Skip

• How can fail and skip be used?

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 Unit Test: result

Environment variable :CMOCKA_MESSAGE_OUTPUT

– STDOUT
– SUBUNIT
– TAP
– XML (junit)
Environment variable : CMOCKA_XML_FILE contains link to result
file.

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Test report

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 Etat du test

• Succeeded
• Test has succeeded
• Test contains bugs

• Failed
• Test has failed
• Test contains bugs
à You have to test your tests
? Any idea how to do
 One Sample

• A function that concatenates 2 characters

string:

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 One Sample

• SetUp

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Two tests

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Main

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 Writing unit test : good practices

• Test allows to evaluate codeà confidence

• Unit test should be independant à slice problems

• Write assertion firstà you’ll write the rest of the test

more easely

• Data: Use real life data (production, field)

• Pay attention to data inversion

• For expected result write the computation : 2*4

instead of 8.
 Data Inversion

Example : 2 similar input parameters

like :
– Personal phone number
– Professional phone number

• If you use same number in both

inputs and there is an issue in the
code (use mismatch of both number
) your test won’t detect it.