I suggest adding the following (or a similar) macro to test_tools.hpp: #define BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_MESSAGE(left_, right_, message_) \ boost::test_toolbox::detail::equal_and_continue_impl((left_), (right_), \ boost::test_toolbox::detail::wrapstrstream() << #left_ " == " #right_ << " (" << message_ << ")" , __FILE__, __LINE__)
Sometimes in a unit test one has got a function/method to check certain properties of an object in order to avoid duplicating lots of code --- SNIP Example --- MyObject* my1 = new MyObject(1, 2, 3); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my1->getA(), 1); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my1->getB(), 2); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my1->getC(), 3); MyObject* my2 = new MyObject(4, 5, 6); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my2->getA(), 4); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my2->getB(), 5); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my2->getC(), 6); --- SNIP --- can be refactored into: --- SNIP Example refactored --- void checkMyObject(MyObject* my, int a, int b, int c) { BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my->getA(), a); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my->getB(), b); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(my->getC(), c); } MyObject* my1 = new MyObject(1, 2, 3); checkMyObject(my1, 1, 2, 3); MyObject* my2 = new MyObject(4, 5, 6); checkMyObject(my2, 4, 5, 6); --- SNIP --- The problem with the second version is that if the check for equality fails, the only output is the line number within checkMyObject() that failed. No hint about the calling line is present. Ideally all macros should print out a stack trace (as done in e.g. Java), but from my limited knowledge of C++ I guess that this is not (easily) possible, so introducing a BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_MESSAGE macro is the second best solution IMHO: --- SNIP Example with new macro --- void checkMyObject(MyObject* my, int context, int a, int b, int c) { BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_MESSAGE(my->getA(), a, context); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_MESSAGE(my->getB(), b, context); BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL_MESSAGE(my->getC(), c, context); } MyObject* my1 = new MyObject(1, 2, 3); checkMyObject(my1, __LINE__, 1, 2, 3); MyObject* my2 = new MyObject(4, 5, 6); checkMyObject(my2, __LINE__, 4, 5, 6); --- SNIP --- Note that instead of using an int context we could also have a std::string or any other streamable object. Using an int and the __LINE__ macro is just convenient here. Best regards, Robert _______________________________________________ Unsubscribe & other changes: http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost