C++Test Quick Fact Sheet

What is C++Test?

C++Test is an automatic unit testing tool for C and C++ developers. With C++Test, you can perform a complete range of tests on a class or method as soon as you compile it, without building a harness or integrating it into a larger project. C++Test is an easy-to-use that can easily fit into any existing C/C++ development cycle. C++Test works on any C++ classes or methods or C functions that can compile with the Microsoft® Visual C++® compiler. C++Test easily integrates with Microsoft Developer Studio.

What is unit testing and how can it help me?

Unit testing is the most efficient way to detect as many errors as possible. To perform unit testing, you pull one class, method, or function out of your application and test it by itself. The main advantage to unit testing is that it puts you much closer to the errors in a particular piece of code, thereby making error detection quicker and easier.

By performing unit testing, you can:

• Prevent many errors from occurring
• Catch existing errors as early as possible
• Achieve the fullest possible coverage of your methods
• Uncover problems that later levels of testing are unable to detect

What types of testing does C++Test perform?

C++Test automatically performs white-box testing, black-box testing, and regression testing.

What is white-box testing and why is it important?

White-box testing tests the construction of your code using data derived from the internal structure of a class, method or function. White-box testing at the class level prevents crash-causing errors by testing how your code behaves when it is passed unexpected inputs.

How does C++Test work?

C++Test performs white-box testing by automatically generating and executing test cases to see how functions, classes, or methods behave when they are passed unexpected inputs. You can control what types of test cases C++Test generates by specifying what kinds of arguments to use, how many test cases to run, and how deeply to search your embedded classes. C++Test will also generate stub functions to test methods that call other functions.

C++Test performs black-box testing by automatically generating and executing test cases and displaying the outcomes, which you can verify with one click of the mouse. You can also enter your own black-box test cases and correct any incorrect outcomes received for automatically-generated test cases, then execute these test cases with one click.

C++Test performs regression testing by executing the test cases that were run the previous times the class was tested and checking to see if any outcomes have changed. If outcomes have changed or if C++Test finds exceptions, it will report errors. You can replay the test cases each time you modify your code. As soon as you have corrected all problems, you can safely check your code into the code repository. You can repeat this process each time you modify any part of a class or function.

What are the benefits of using C++Test?

• Eliminates crash-causing problems
• Ensures that code is structurally sound
• Prevents simple errors from becoming more serious problems
• Reduces time wasted on debugging
• Prevents errors from returning to code
• Improves speed and quality of testing
• Reduces time spent on code maintenance
• Streamlines development process for quicker time to market

On which platforms does C++Test run?

• Windows NT/2000