Can I link multiple BOOST unit tests into a single test binary?

Question

I've recently started trying to put a venerable and large (>1 million lines) program under test. There are currently no unit tests. Also, the program is linked as each individual file being linked together - there are no component libraries. Furthermore, the objects are highly interdependent, and it is difficult (impossible?) to link to any object files without linking to at least half of them.

Yes, I know, my life sucks.

I'd like to do some refactoring (obviously), but I'd like to have some tests in place before I start moving things around. My current idea is to compile a single "test program" which runs all of the tests I create. This would drastically simplify the linking issues that I have and let me focus on the real problems. So I have two questions:

Is it possible to link multiple BOOST unit test files into one test executable?
Is there a better solution?

It look like there may be a way to do this. Updates to follow. — dbn, Feb 07 '13 at 04:15

score 44 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 09 '13 at 22:29

44

I guess, this is precisely how to use boost test. I would keep one short main.cpp file consisting of literally 2 lines:

#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE "C++ Unit Tests for MyTangledLibrary"
#include <boost/test/included/unit_test.hpp>

And then I would keep adding test module *.cpp files compiled together into one executable

#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
<< your include files >>

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(FancyShmancyLogic)

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestingIf2x3equals6)
{
  ...
}

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(TestingIf2x2equals4)
{
  ...
}

BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()

Yes, you will be able to compile that main.cpp and all of your modules into one large executable.

answered Mar 09 '13 at 22:29

Lenny

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5
3

1

When I try this, the test compiles and links, but upon execution I get: Test setup error: test tree is empty – Bob Stine Sep 25 '14 at 13:54
3

You also need to include all your module *.cpp files into main.cpp. Otherwise the test runner does not know about your tests. – Ace7k3 May 13 '16 at 14:19
1

@Ace7k3, I thought it was bad practice to ever `#include` a `.cpp` file. Is this an exception? – tjwrona1992 Apr 19 '17 at 20:26
1

@Ace7k3: Compiling the .cpp files separately and linking them into a unit test executable works fine for me. – Fred Larson Apr 21 '17 at 16:07
1

@tjwrona, include in the project not #include in the source. – Ant Nov 12 '19 at 16:20
@Ant I figured that out about a week later haha. – tjwrona1992 Nov 12 '19 at 16:28
https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_69_0/libs/test/doc/html/boost_test/adv_scenarios/single_header_customizations/multiple_translation_units.html – Equation Solver Dec 24 '19 at 11:45

Can I link multiple BOOST unit tests into a single test binary?

1 Answers1