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Writing tests for modules using database handles

by astaines (Curate)
on Aug 02, 2001 at 01:17 UTC ( [id://101486]=perlquestion: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

astaines has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi,

    I am writing a module which wraps the table_info() function in DBI. Clearly it need a working database handle to operate on. I want to write some test scripts for it. These work fine on my system, where I can feed them a working databse handle easily.

    How should I provide tests for other people to use, assuming that anyone else is ever mad enough to use this module? I may be missing something fundamental here, but all advice is gratefully accepted.


(Any comments on the basic idea of this module, and whether there's a better solution also welcome)

Anthony Staines

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

SYNOPSIS use DBIx::Information; my $dbinf->new($dbh); # Get a list of tables in the database my @tables = @{ $dbinf->tables()}; # Get a list of variables in the whole database my @variables = @{ $dbinf->variables()}; # Get a list of the variable in the table called $table_name; my @myvariable = @{ $dbinf->variable($table_name)}; # Get two useful hashes- # List keyed by table to anonymous arrays of the names of th +e variables in each table # Index keyed by variable name to anonymous arrays of the na +mes of the table # (or tables) in which each variable occurs. # my %list = %{$dbinf->list()}; my %index = %{$dbinf->index()}; #Does the variable exist in the specified table my $exists = $dbinf->IsVarinTable($variable_name,$table_name); DESCRIPTION This module provides a convenient interface to the contents of a s +ingle database, or (possibly) a singe schema. I only have Mysql, and it +*will* work with this. If you have other databases fell free to test... EXPORT Nothing. don't even try. AUTHOR Anthony.Staines@ucd.ie SEE ALSO the perl manpage.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Writing tests for modules using database handles
by chromatic (Archbishop) on Aug 02, 2001 at 04:48 UTC
    DBD::CSV. DBD::RAM.

    Make it possible to set up your program with a different database handle. In your test program, open a handle to a file or memory database with just enough test data to make things work.

    I used DBD::CSV in a project, stuffed the applicable data after __DATA__, and wrote a small sub to dump things to a CSV file. Very simple:

    sub make_db { open(OUT, '>page_data') or die "Can't open output db: $!"; while (<DATA>) { chomp; print OUT $_, "\015\012"; } close OUT; }

    Depending on how tricky your SQL calls are, you may have to get more tricky here. Hmm, it would be good to have someone write a DBI testing module. Any takers?

Re: Writing tests for modules using database handles
by bikeNomad (Priest) on Aug 02, 2001 at 04:45 UTC
    Your test script could require a database handle to be set in a config file (and, of course, print a message if it isn't). The handle could be passed to the Makefile, as well. Look at the way that the various DBD modules do their testing. Isn't there a test database in the standard MySQL installation? That could be your default.

    The Device::SerialPort module does tests on a live serial port; if opening it fails, it prints out a message about how to change the configuration by editing a file.

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