Common Test

User's Guide

Version 1.15.4

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- Reference Manual
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### Chapters

- Introduction
  - Top of chapter
  - Scope
  - Prerequisites
- Common Test Basics
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Test Suite Organisation
  - Support Libraries
  - Suites and Test Cases
  - External Interfaces
- Getting Started
  - Top of chapter
  - Introduction for Newcomers
  - Test Case Execution
  - A Simple Test Suite
  - A Test Suite with Configuration Functions
  - Questions and Answers
- Installation
  - Top of chapter
  - General Information
- Writing Test Suites
  - Top of chapter
  - Support for Test Suite Authors
  - Test Suites
  - Init and End per Suite
  - Init and End per Test Case
  - Test Cases
  - Test Case Information Function
  - Test Suite Information Function
  - Test Case Groups
  - Parallel Property and Nested Groups
  - Parallel Test Cases and I/O
  - Repeated Groups
  - Shuffled Test Case Order
  - Group Information Function
  - Information Functions for Init- and End-Configuration
  - Data and Private Directories
  - Execution Environment
  - Timetrap Time-Outs
  - Logging - Categories and Verbosity Levels
  - Illegal Dependencies
- Test Structure
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Skipping Test Cases
  - Definition of Terms
- Examples and Templates
  - Top of chapter
  - Test Suite Example
  - Test Suite Templates
- Running Tests and Analyzing Results
  - Top of chapter
  - Using the Common Test Framework
  - Automatic Compilation of Test Suites and Help Modules
  - Running Tests from the OS Command Line
  - Running Tests from the Erlang Shell or from an Erlang Program
  - Test Case Group Execution
  - Running the Interactive Shell Mode
  - Step-by-Step Execution of Test Cases with the Erlang Debugger
  - Test Specifications
  - Running Tests from the Web-Based GUI
  - Log Files
  - HTML Style Sheets
  - Repeating Tests
  - Silent Connections
- External Configuration Data
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Syntax
  - Requiring and Reading Configuration Data
  - Using Configuration Variables Defined in Multiple Files
  - Encrypted Configuration Files
  - Opening Connections Using Configuration Data
  - User-Specific Configuration Data Formats
  - Examples of Configuration Data Handling
  - Example of User-Specific Configuration Handler
- Code Coverage Analysis
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Use
  - Stopping the Cover Tool When Tests Are Completed
  - The Cover Specification File
  - Cross Cover Analysis
  - Logging
- Using Common Test for Large-Scale Testing
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Use
  - Test Specifications
  - Automatic Startup of Test Target Nodes
- Event Handling
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Use
- Dependencies between Test Cases and Suites
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Saving Configuration Data
  - Sequences
- Common Test Hooks
  - Top of chapter
  - General
  - Installing a CTH
  - CTH Scope
  - Manipulating Tests
  - Synchronizing External User Applications with Common Test
  - Example CTH
  - Built-In CTHs
- Some Thoughts about Testing
  - Top of chapter
  - Goals
  - What to Test

# 4 Installation

### 4.1 General Information

The two main interfaces for running tests with Common Test are an executable program named ct_run and the Erlang module ct. ct_run is compiled for the underlying operating system (for example, Unix/Linux or Windows) during the build of the Erlang/OTP system, and is installed automatically with other executable programs in the top level bin directory of Erlang/OTP. The ct interface functions can be called from the Erlang shell, or from any Erlang function, on any supported platform.

The Common Test application is installed with the Erlang/OTP system. No extra installation step is required to start using Common Test through the ct_run executable program, and/or the interface functions in the ct module.