# Change usage of pp in Test::Unit assertions **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [April 13, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630 "2008-04-13T05:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mman)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630/1 "2008-04-13T05:15:52Z")
Hi all. I have some Test::Unit testcases that deal with Date and DateTime. If, for whatever reason, I have a failing assert\_equal on either Date or DateTime, the resulting message is quite difficult to read: the reason obviously is that pp dumps the content of the object, it doesn’t rely on to\_s or other more readable ways. Is there any way to change this behaviour and make assert\_equal print Date.to\_s and DateTime.to\_s when the comparison fail? TIA MM ---
**Author:** ![mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mman)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630/2 "2008-04-13T19:04:37Z")
On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 5:15 AM, [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Hi all. > > I have some Test::Unit testcases that deal with Date and DateTime. If, > for whatever reason, I have a failing assert\_equal on either Date or > DateTime, the resulting message is quite difficult to read: the reason > obviously is that pp dumps the content of the object, it doesn’t rely > on to\_s or other more readable ways. > > Is there any way to change this behaviour and make assert\_equal print > Date.to\_s and DateTime.to\_s when the comparison fail? You have two possibilities: 1. set Test::Unit::Assertions.use\_pp to false, thus using Date#inspect, or 2. create your own assertion that will use to\_s. See documentation for Test::Unit::Assertions. (the easiest way would be to copy the code for assert\_equal from assertions.rb and change the first line with build\_message) J. ---
**Author:** ![mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630/3 "2008-04-14T01:00:42Z")
On Apr 13, 1:03 pm, Jano S. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 5:15 AM, [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > > Is there any way to change this behaviour and make assert\_equal print > > Date.to\_s and DateTime.to\_s when the comparison fail? > > You have two possibilities: > > 1. set Test::Unit::Assertions.use\_pp to false, thus using Date#inspect, or That made it. I was playing with Date#inspect, but noticed that Test::Unit::Assertions was using PP anyway. Thanks MM. ---
**Author:** ![mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mman)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630/4 "2008-04-14T18:04:32Z")
On Apr 13, 11:07 am, “Phlip” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > (Use my assert{ 2.0 } instead of assert\_equal), but more importantly you > need to override .inspect. Oh nice, I didn’t know about it, I’ll give it a try. And if you, random reader, are ignorant like me, take a look at [O'Reilly Media - Technology and Business Training](http://www.oreillynet.com/ruby/blog/2008/02/assert2.html)🙂 Thanks MM ---
**Author:** ![mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@mman](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mman)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/change-usage-of-pp-in-test-unit-assertions/134630/5 "2008-04-15T11:17:10Z")
On Apr 13, 2008, at 10:03 AM, Jano S. wrote: > > > > assertions.rb and change the first line with build\_message) 1. create a Date#pretty\_print and DateTime#pretty\_print method.