A simple test framework (V2)

Warning

This is a minimal framework, do not expect production grade testing just with this library, you will need aditional tools for tasks like end-to-end testing or only calling specific tests

Why?

This project aims to be a simple testing framework for the C programming language, it offers basic testing utilities (suites and asserts) for unit tests

I did this because the other frameworks avaliable are overly comlpex for what a testing framework should to be. Advanced features require software-specific structure and should not be a responsability of the testing tool

Design

Simplicity over all

astf2 offers minimal and easy to use testing infrastructure. For CLI arguments, subcommands, and help text in test executables, pair ASTF with flag.h. switches.c shows a small manual dispatcher; flag.h scales that pattern well

On testing

You have to ask yourself "How much of my code do I want to be test code?". Remember that after you built the tests and they pass, they can fail if you change the function later, so you have to change the test, which increases development friction

So I recommend testing parts of your code that are small (can run independently of the rest of the program) and need correctness (like algorithms and data structures), or e2e testing after the software is basically complete (so you're just doing it to make sure your "polishing" does not break anything)

Features

• Single header STB-style. This makes the code easy to use
• Super simple. This makes the code easy to use
• Generic macros. This makes the code easy to use
• Standard C11 with no compiler magic. This makes the code easy to use
• No memory alocations. This makes the code easy to use
• Tiny. This makes the code easy to use

Jokes aside, this means you can just wget the header file and do this:

#define ASTF_IMPLEMENTATION
#include "astf.h"

int
main()
{
    astf_start_testing();

    astf_start_group("Math");
    astf_start_test_suite("Math Suite");

    int result = 2 + 2;
    astf_assert_equal(4, result);
    astf_assert_true(result > 0);

    astf_retrieve_results();
    astf_end_group();

    astf_stop_testing();
}

and you already have astf working on your project (make sure your include paths are correct)

---

Tutorial (if you may call it that)

Copy the "astf.h" header to the location you put your projects libraries and include it where you want to test

Create a function with the name of your test suite

Then, add astf_start_test_suite("Suite name"); at the top of the function with the name of your test suite as the argument, and astf_retrieve_results(); at the end to get the results

Wrap suites in astf_start_group("Group name"); and astf_end_group();. A group reports fully passed, partially failed, and fully failed suites. Wrap all groups in astf_start_testing(); and astf_stop_testing();; testing results classify groups the same way

In between, add astf_assert_...() with the assert type. a.k.a astf_assert_equal(expected, actual)

Note that float functions require an epsilon parameter

If prefixing everything with astf_ sounds boring and you won't get naming conflicts, use #define ASTF_STRIP_PREFIX to remove the need for it

Moreover, ASTF provides colored output using ANISI colors by default, if you don't want it, use #define ASTF_NO_ANSI_COLORS

Examples:

• Basic examples, basic reference of the tool
• CLI-selected sequence tests, a more "real world" setup
• Use in Numerical Methods, shows how to use astf to TDD a Numerical Method
• Use in Computational Geometry, TDD an algorithm

Quick list

astf_assert_equal(expected, actual): Exactly what it suggests, use for exact data types (a.k.a non-floats)

astf_assert_approx(expected, actual, epsilon): Also obvious, remember to make sure your epsilon fits your data type's range

astf_assert_cond(expected_bool, condition), astf_assert_true(cond), astf_assert_false(cond): Family of boolean asserts, the true and false variants are just aliasses that pass true or false into the expected bool

astf_assert_null(pointer), astf_assert_not_null(pointer): Make sure your pointers actually exist (or not ;-;)

astf_assert_range(val, min, max): Works for all numeric data types