[erlang-questions] eunit vs. common_test

[David Mercer]

Would it be accurate to describe common_test as a blackbox testing tool and
eunit as a whitebox (or open-box or whatever the opposite of blackbox is)?

If so, is the following example in the eunit documentation misleading?  I
usually think of asserts as being in the code rather than separated in
separate test functions:

	fib_test_() ->
	   [?_assert(fib(0) =:= 1),
		?_assert(fib(1) =:= 1),
		?_assert(fib(2) =:= 2),
		?_assert(fib(3) =:= 3),
		?_assert(fib(4) =:= 5),
		?_assert(fib(5) =:= 8),
		?_assertException(error, function_clause, fib(-1)),
		?_assert(fib(31) =:= 2178309)
	   ].

This is a blackbox test, and I would write it in common_test as:

	fib_test(_) ->
		1 = fib(0),
		1 = fib(1),
		2 = fib(2),
		3 = fib(3),
		4 = fib(4),
		8 = fib(5),
		{'EXIT',{function_clause,_}} = catch fib(-1),
		2178309 = fib(31).

Am I on-track in my understanding, or completely off-base?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christian [mailto:chsu79@REDACTED]
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 9:57 AM
> To: David Mercer
> Cc: erlang-questions
> Subject: Re: [erlang-questions] eunit vs. common_test
> 
> I do not feel that they are two overlapping test systems where you
> pick one or the other but not both.
> 
> Eunit has tools for assertions and making table driven tests, things
> that are common in unit tests. A tool for the developer.
> 
> Common test is more of a manager of test suites, to give them a
> configuration and to set up multiple nodes to participate in a test.
> Ct is good at giving you test code coverage with relatively little
> effort. A tool for someone that manages the test machines and makes
> sure the managers and developers get their reports.
> 
> One test suite in ct can very well be to execute your eunit tests.
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 15:46, David Mercer<dmercer@REDACTED> wrote:
> > It seems that most of us use eunit for unit testing instead of
> common_test.
> > I myself use common_test.  What are the advantages eunit has over
> > common_test, and should I switch?  Please advise.  Thank-you.
> >
> >
> >
> > David Mercer
> >
> >