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

NOTE: This module was written before subtests existed in TAP 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 "plan" 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 "remaining" method on the object.

Test::Block objects overload "" and "0+" 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' );

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> 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 CPAN Forum is a web forum for discussing Perl's CPAN modules. The Test::Block forum can be found at <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/>.

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 RSS 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.

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.