RFC: Stub Test Generator perl module + vim script

[chargrill]

As a result of a recent "lunch and learn" session I gave at my office (discussed a bit here), I've created a vim script that maps a couple of key commands to perform the following functions:

1. Analyze the source code of a perl file you're editing in vim, and create a test file in a t/ subdirectory of your current working directory (assuming one doesn't already exist), with an appropriate use_ok() or require_ok() test for your module/script, and ok() tests for all subroutines found.
2. Open a split view to that test file for quick and easy modification, to flesh out the test stubs automatically created.
3. Run the test file.
4. Generate a Makefile (assuming your system supports make).
5. Running the targets in that Makefile, which includes running your code through Devel::Cover.

I talked about this vim plugin during a lightning talk at a recent Chicago Perl Mongers meeting, and got some good feedback. Some of the questions/comments I got were:

1. Is this released/available anywhere? (it wasn't)
2. Can this be ported to emacs? (most likely not, as it's all vimscript)
3. It would be cool if it were a perl script so I could call it from emacs.

So, I sought to address these.

1. I've released the vim script.
2. I've created a perl module and released it to the CPAN.

The documentation and usage is available, but a quick synopsis of the module is:

         use Test::StubGenerator;

         my $stub = Test::StubGenerator->new(
           {
             file => '/path/to/MyModule.pm',
           }
         );

         print $stub->gen_testfile;

Or, from the command line (for ease of use for vim or emacs):

         $ perl -MTest::StubGenerator -e '
         > my $stub = Test::StubGenerator->new({ file => "Module.pm" }
+);
         > print $stub->gen_testfile;' > Module.t

There are a few more options for writing the test stubs directly to file, or to a given directory. I also have it passing the tests through perltidy, just to make sure I'm not creating unreadable test text - though that can be disabled.

Of note, you'll need to have PPI installed, at least version 1.118. Anyone who's using Perl::Critic shouldn't have a problem with this. And of course, Perl::Tidy needs to be installed.

So, I'm asking for any commentary and/or suggestions for improvement. But please be gentle, as these are my first releases :)

Thanks in advance!

[naikonta]

First of all, this is an excellent idea! I love both vim script and module versions (haven't got the chance to try it, but I will). As for the sequence of functionalities, I'd like to suggest to provide an option to not running the number 4 & 5 (makefile related), as some people writing modules already have a Makefile in their structure, specially if the skeleton was generated with h2xs. I'm talking about the vim script version, as for the module version I believe it is (or can be) more flexible.

I also don't know whether the vim script version requires vim to be compiled with perl or not.

[chargrill]

Actually, as far as the vim script/plugin goes, it will only write a t/filebasename.t and a Makefile if they don't already exist. This is especially useful if you've used it already to create a test stub (or a Makefile) and started fleshing out the tests (or customizing your Makefile) - "whoops, didn't mean to overwrite that!" :)