tablix2_test - Tablix testing framework front-end

tablix2_test command options file

Tablix is a powerful free software kernel for solving general timetabling problems. It uses a coarse-grained parallel genetic algorithm in combination with other techniques to construct sensible timetables from XML formatted problem descriptions. Tablix can run on a single host as well as on a heterogeneous parallel virtual machine using PVM3.

Tablix testing framework provides a way to write simple automated tests that verify if a module and/or kernel is working as expected. Framework is composed of a special export module export_ttf.so and a utility program tablix2_test. Each automated test case is stored in a single file with the standard Tablix XML configuration syntax and a special XML comment block containing a short program written in Scheme.

tablix2_test first processes each file containing the test case with tablix or tablix2 (depending on the detected version of the XML format) and then uses export_ttf.so module to run the Scheme code included in the same file to verify if the kernel has found a correct solution.

For each test case, tablix2_test reports one of the following results:

passed

File contained XML syntax for the 0.2.x branch of kernels. tablix2 found a solution to the test problem and Scheme code confirmed that it is correct.

passed (old syntax)

File contained XML syntax for the 0.1.x branch of kernels. tablix found a solution to the test problem and Scheme code confirmed that it is correct.

skipped

tablix or tablix2 executable was not found. Test problem was skipped.

FAILED (tablix crashed)

Tablix did not find a solution to the test problem. The reason can be a syntax error in the XML configuration file, an error in the module or a kernel crash. See any other displayed error messages for details.

FAILED (most likely scheme syntax error)

Scheme interpreter returned an error. The reason can be a syntax error or a bug in the Scheme code block. See any other displayed error messages for details.

FAILED (ttf test failed)

Tablix found a solution to the test problem but Scheme code did not confirm it.

FAILED (unknown error)

Tablix returned an unknown return value. You are probably running an outdated tablix2_test.

Since tablix or tablix2 is run as part of the process, pvmd daemon must be running and be configured properly before running tablix2_test

tablix2_test --file OPTIONS FILE

Perform once a single test stored in the XML configuration file FILE. OPTIONS parameter is mandatory and contains options that will be passed to the tablix or tablix2 process.

tablix2_test --dir OPTIONS DIRECTORY

Perform once all tests stored in XML configuration files in the directory DIRECTORY. OPTIONS parameter is mandatory and contains options that will be passed to the tablix or tablix2 process.

tablix2_test --multi-file N OPTIONS FILE

Same as --file but performs each test N times. Test is considered passed only none of N repetitions of the test fail.

tablix2_test --multi-dir N OPTIONS DIRECTORY

Same as --dir but performs each test in the directory N times. Test is considered passed only none of N repetitions of the test fail.

To perform an exhaustive test of all kernel features and all modules in the distribution, run the following command from the top of the Tablix source tree:

tablix2_test --multi-dir 7 ttf/tests

A correctly working Tablix installation should pass all tests stored in the ttf/tests/ subdirectory except the error-1.xml, error-2.xml and error-3.xml tests which verify that the testing framework is correctly reporting errors.

tablix2_test utility depends on a number of common UNIX programs (mktemp, grep, sed, awk, ...) that may not be available on all systems. The script is not currently capable of properly detecting if any required programs are missing.

Tomaz Solc (tomaz.solc@siol.net)

tablix2(1), Tablix User's Manual, Tablix modules HOWTO