Re: AUnit

Re: AUnit

[Fredrik Thörnblad]

Judging from the response to the posting on this list, not very many are
using AUnit for testing purposes.
I hate to say that we are not using it either. But we have it, it's been
tested for a couple of modules. I've not done it myself, so I cannot
give any details, but my understanding is that it takes some effort to
set up, but then it's doing it's job fine.
The latest roumurs I heard, we have plans to port it to Ada 83, because
that's where we'll have most use for it. I think it's scheduled for this
summer.

I'm very positive towards the XP ideas and I think that the testing
ideas (test first, test everything, etc) is necessary to build
confidence in the code and to make reliable software. No matter what
language you are using.

Good luck teaching this to your students. And if you find a way to make
it easier for them, please share it with the rest of us!

/Fredrik


Ehud Lamm wrote:

I was wondering how spread is the use of Aunit (the testing framework).
Does
anyone use it professionally? Did anyone try (and succeed) using it with
students?

I have a feeling it is too complicated for students (it uses stuff we
cover
quite late like tagged types and child units), but I'd love showing my
students the intense testing approach.

--
Ehud Lamm   mslamm@mscc.huji.ac.il
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ehudlamm <==  Me!

Re: AUnit

[Ehud Lamm]

> The latest roumurs I heard, we have plans to port it to Ada 83, because
> that's where we'll have most use for it. I think it's scheduled for this
> summer.
[snip]
>
> Good luck teaching this to your students. And if you find a way to make
> it easier for them, please share it with the rest of us!
>


Indeed, I was thinkinbg about creating a generic oriented version, or
wrapping AUnit itself with a gnerig wrapper. Seems doable, but I haven't
done it yet...


--
Ehud Lamm   mslamm@mscc.huji.ac.il
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ehudlamm <==  Me!

Re: AUnit

[Pascal Obry]

"Ehud Lamm" <mslamm@mscc.huji.ac.il> writes:

> Indeed, I was thinkinbg about creating a generic oriented version, or
> wrapping AUnit itself with a gnerig wrapper. Seems doable, but I haven't
> done it yet...

To test units I've been using Test Driver Generator from Andre Spiegel.

   ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/local/

Latest version is 3.1.

I like it and found it easy to use. There is even an Emacs mode to support the
Driver Generator script :)

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

Re: AUnit

[Simon Wright]

Pascal Obry <p.obry@wanadoo.fr> writes:

> To test units I've been using Test Driver Generator from Andre Spiegel.
> 
>    ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/local/
> 
> Latest version is 3.1.

We are evaluating this and AUnit (and a non-free tool, too). My
personal feeling is that TG stands a good chance.

A complete (short) script I'm using:

-- $Id: problem_reporting-component-test.ts,v 1.1 2001/04/22 10:49:46 simon Exp $

error_handling continue

context with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
	with Ada.Strings.Unbounded; use Ada.Strings.Unbounded;
        with Architecture.Exceptions;
	with Problem_Reporting.Component; use Problem_Reporting.Component;

***** (1) Create
define 	H : Problem_Reporting.Component.Handle;
	N : Unbounded_String := To_Unbounded_String ("first");
test	H := Problem_Reporting.Component.Create ((Id => N));
pass	H /= null
cleanup Problem_Reporting.Component.Delete (H);

***** (2) Create twice
define 	H : Problem_Reporting.Component.Handle;
	N : Unbounded_String := To_Unbounded_String ("first");
test	H := Problem_Reporting.Component.Create ((Id => N));
	H := Problem_Reporting.Component.Create ((Id => N));
pass	exception Architecture.Exceptions.Duplicate
cleanup Problem_Reporting.Component.Delete (H);

(as it stands, this needs a patch to TG because of translating '-' to
'.' when converting the file name to the Ada name).

Re: AUnit

[Poutanen Olavi]

If your project is at Ada 83 level you might want to look Testwell TBGEN
as unit testing tool for Ada 83. If interested, please have a look at
http://www.testwell.fi (company)
http://www.testwell.fi/tbgdesc.html (straight to TBGEN)

Olavi Poutanen
Testwell

re: AUnit

[Ed Falis]

Just a quick note regarding the usability of AUnit.  GNATPro 3.14a and
beyond include an extra submenu for AUnit that generates all the
boilerplate code for test cases, suites and harnesses.  The result is
that you really only have to manually deal with the specific test
procedures and any context they may require.

- Ed

Re: AUnit

[Pascal Obry]

Ed Falis <falis@gnat.com> writes:

> Just a quick note regarding the usability of AUnit.  GNATPro 3.14a and
> beyond include an extra submenu for AUnit that generates all the

Of course, Ed is talking about GLIDE here ;)

Pascal.

-- 

--|------------------------------------------------------
--| Pascal Obry                           Team-Ada Member
--| 45, rue Gabriel Peri - 78114 Magny Les Hameaux FRANCE
--|------------------------------------------------------
--|         http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.obry
--|
--| "The best way to travel is by means of imagination"

AUnit

[Ehud Lamm]

I was wondering how spread is the use of Aunit (the testing framework). Does
anyone use it professionally? Did anyone try (and succeed) using it with
students?

I have a feeling it is too complicated for students (it uses stuff we cover
quite late like tagged types and child units), but I'd love showing my
students the intense testing approach.

--
Ehud Lamm   mslamm@mscc.huji.ac.il
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ehudlamm <==  Me!

Re: AUnit

[Dr. Michael Paus]

Ehud Lamm wrote:
> 
> I was wondering how spread is the use of Aunit (the testing framework). Does
> anyone use it professionally? Did anyone try (and succeed) using it with
> students?

I am using JUnit (the Java counterpart to AUnit) but did not have the time yet
to try out AUnit (although I have already downloaded it :-)

> I have a feeling it is too complicated for students (it uses stuff we cover
> quite late like tagged types and child units), but I'd love showing my
> students the intense testing approach.

I think the use of J(A)Unit is quite straight forward if you have a complete
example which you can then extend with further test cases. Even if you do not
understand object oriented concepts like tagged types etc. you can just copy
and extend an example and so I think it should be possible to teach students
how to use this tool even if they do not completely understand why it works.

Michael

Re: AUnit

[Ehud Lamm]

> I am using JUnit (the Java counterpart to AUnit) but did not have the time
yet
> to try out AUnit (although I have already downloaded it :-)
>
>
> I think the use of J(A)Unit is quite straight forward if you have a
complete
> example which you can then extend with further test cases. Even if you do
not
> understand object oriented concepts like tagged types etc. you can just
copy
> and extend an example and so I think it should be possible to teach
students
> how to use this tool even if they do not completely understand why it
works.
>


I think it has an OOP-feel so Java programmer should feel right at home but
people with pascal/basic Ada knowledge will be confused.


--
Ehud Lamm   mslamm@mscc.huji.ac.il
http://purl.oclc.org/NET/ehudlamm <==  Me!

AUnit

[Ed Falis]

By the way, we're actively soliciting feedback on it.

- Ed

Re: AUnit

[Vincent Marciante]

Ed Falis wrote:
> 
> By the way, we're actively soliciting feedback on it.
> 
> - Ed

A small yet real example of its expected use would be good.
I checked the web site with the original paper but the way/reason to
utilize the framwork still is not clear to me.

Vinny

Re: AUnit

[Ed Falis]

Vincent Marciante wrote:
> Ed Falis wrote:
>>
>> By the way, we're actively soliciting feedback on it.
>>
>> - Ed
>
> A small yet real example of its expected use would be good.
> I checked the web site with the original paper but the way/reason to
> utilize the framwork still is not clear to me.
>
> Vinny

Pop up to the top of the site to read about Extreme Programming, which
is what got me started on this.  Or pick up Kent Beck's "Extreme
Programming Explained".

The idea behind the package, which is a clone of similar packages done
for other languages, is to allow quick and convenient unit test
development and use while developing your production code.  With
sufficent unit tests in place, you can modify software to keep it clean
and enhance it with more confidence than you could otherwise.  Yes, I
know tests don't prove that sw is defect-free, if anyone is about to
raise that one.  It's just another tool in the box.

- Ed

Re: AUnit

[Ed Falis]

> Vincent Marciante wrote:
>> Ed Falis wrote:
>>>
>>> By the way, we're actively soliciting feedback on it.
>>>
>>> - Ed
>>
>> A small yet real example of its expected use would be good.
>> I checked the web site with the original paper but the way/reason to
>> utilize the framwork still is not clear to me.
>>
>> Vinny

Vinny,

I forgot to mention when I replied to this that the "test" subdirectory
contains unit tests for the framework itself, which should illustrate
its use.  I assume you've already read the AUnit.html file at the
top-level of the distribution.

- Ed