# What kind of testing for executables? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [June 18, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364 "2010-06-18T15:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/1 "2010-06-18T15:45:48Z")
What kind of testing is it when you test a projects executables: system/functional or integration? ---
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/2 "2010-06-18T19:20:41Z")
On 6/18/10, Intransition [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > What kind of testing is it when you test a projects executables: > system/functional or integration? These terms are so broad and mean so many things to so many people that I think you can just take your pick. ---
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/3 "2010-06-19T07:05:22Z")
Thomas S. wrote: > What kind of testing is it when you test a projects executables: > system/functional or integration? Is this about the terminology ? I’d like to know what tools are being used for testing command-line programs ? I looked around to see samples of shoulda in command line gems but could not find any. Currently, I am using a shell program (without a name or repo) written by the git people (Junio Hamano) to test git. I used it to test a shell app I wrote, and now I an using it for a ruby command line app. Sadly, it compares the standard output of a program - expected vs actual. Which means every time I tweak or improve the output, my tests fail. It ignores stderr. But otherwise it serves my purpose a lot – far better than no auto testing. If this is OT, I could start a new thread for that. ---
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/4 "2010-06-19T12:16:48Z")
On Jun 19, 1:05 am, “R… Kumar” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > not find any. Currently, I am using a shell program (without a name or > repo) written by the git people (Junio Hamano) to test git. I used it to > test a shell app I wrote, and now I an using it for a ruby command line > app. > > Sadly, it compares the standard output of a program - expected vs > actual. Which means every time I tweak or improve the output, my tests > fail. It ignores stderr. But otherwise it serves my purpose a lot – far > better than no auto testing. > > If this is OT, I could start a new thread for that. No worries. I use either Cucumber (with Aruba) or QED. And yes, checking the $stdout is part of test assertions, but I keep it to specific snippets not the whole output, via ‘out.index(pattern)’. ---
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/5 "2010-06-19T14:30:50Z")
On Jun 19, 6:29 am, “R… Kumar” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Is there some project you’ve used Cucumber or QED in (command-line). I > could see the test cases, and copy from there. > I didn’t find much on the main page of QED. I did glance at Aruba some > days back but was lost. Cucumber and Aruba: [http://github.com/proutils/lemon/tree/master/features/](http://github.com/proutils/lemon/tree/master/features/) QED [http://github.com/proutils/pom/tree/master/test/functional/](http://github.com/proutils/pom/tree/master/test/functional/) (see bump.rdoc) ---
**Author:** ![tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/eb8c5e/32.png) [@tcsnide](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tcsnide)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-kind-of-testing-for-executables/190364/6 "2010-06-19T12:29:43Z")
Thomas S. wrote: > > If this is OT, I could start a new thread for that. > > No worries. I use either Cucumber (with Aruba) or QED. > > And yes, checking the $stdout is part of test assertions, but I keep > it to specific snippets not the whole output, via > ‘out.index(pattern)’. Is there some project you’ve used Cucumber or QED in (command-line). I could see the test cases, and copy from there. I didn’t find much on the main page of QED. I did glance at Aruba some days back but was lost.