From: pat eyler Date: 2005-07-14T23:42:46+09:00 Subject: Re: Test::Unit: useful assert and diff for HTML? On 7/14/05, Michael Schuerig wrote: > > I have unit tests for several Rails helper methods that generate HTML. > For these I'm using this rather imperfect assert method > > def assert_equal_ignoring_whitespace(expected, actual) > assert_equal(clean_html(expected), clean_html(actual)) > end > > def clean_html(html) > html.strip.gsub(/\s+/m, ' ').gsub(/>\s+<') > end > > Semantics may be distorted as differences in significant whitespace can > be distorted. The advantage is that I can lay out the expected HTML > fragment in a legible fashion. I'd prefer to use a stricter check, > though. > > Another issue is how the mismatch of actual and expected values is > displayed out of the box. For strings of several hundred characters of > length, it is not very helpful to have just the two strings. It would > be a whole lot nicer to have the differences emphasized. > > Before I dig into the Test::Unit code myself, I hope that someone has > already put in the effort... I don't know about the Test::Unit code, but for highlighting diffs, the wonderful unit_diff script that comes with ZenTest is perfect. Here's an example: $ ts_bigfailure.rb | unit_diff.rb Listing 14. Test::Unit output $ ruby ts_long.rb Loaded suite ts_long Started F Finished in 0.02506 seconds. 1) Failure: test_long(TestLong) [ts_long.rb:33]: <"If you use open source software, you're sure to brush up against some of its rough edges. It may be a bug or a place where the documentation isn't clear (or doesn't exist), or maybe it's not available in your language.\n\nIf you want to give back to the community, you can work on any of these problems, even if you're not a programmer.\n\nYou could write a bug report for the developers (and submit a patch if you're a programmer).\n\nYou could write or extend existing documentation.\n\nIf you're really up for a challenge. You could even work on translating the application and/or documentation.\n\nHowever you choose to get involved, you should start by contacting the developers."> expected but was <"If you use open source software, you're sure to brush up against some of its rough edges. It may be a bug, or a place where the documentation isn't clear (or doesn't exist), or maybe it's not available in your language.\n\nIf you want to give back to the community you can work on any of these problems, even if you're not a programmer.\n\nYou could write a bug report for the developers (and submit a patch if you're a programmer).\n\nYou could write or extend existing documentation.\n\nIf you're really up for a challenge, you could even work on translating the application and/or documentation.\n\nHowever you choose to get involved, you should start by contacting the developers.">. 1 tests, 1 assertions, 1 failures, 0 errors $ ruby ts_long.rb | unit_diff.rb Loaded suite ts_long Started F Finished in 0.017676 seconds. 1) Failure: test_long(TestLong) [ts_long.rb:33]: 3c3 < If you want to give back to the community, you can work on any of these problems, even if you're not a programmer. --- > If you want to give back to the community you can work on any of these problems, even if you're not a programmer. 1 tests, 1 assertions, 1 failures, 0 errors > > Michael > > -- > Michael Schuerig Most people would rather die than think. > mailto:michael@schuerig.de In fact, they do. > http://www.schuerig.de/michael/ --Bertrand Russell > > > -- thanks, -pate ------------------------- We are often unable to tell people what they need to know, because they want to know something else, and would therefore only misunderstand what we said - the Raven (George MacDonald, Lilith)