21 May 2024 Leave a comment Tech-Help
When developing complex software, it’s sometimes beneficial to ensure that certain operations fail to compile. This can help catch issues at the build stage, preventing potential runtime errors. In this article, we will guide you on how to incorporate expected build-failure tests into your CMake projects.
Objective
We’ll demonstrate how to set up build-failure tests in CMake, ensuring certain code snippets fail to compile as expected. This method involves defining a target that is not meant to build successfully and configuring CTest to handle these scenarios.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Prepare Your Test File
Create a file, for example, will_fail.cpp, containing code snippets that should fail to compile:
#if defined TEST1
non-compiling code for test 1
#elif defined TEST2
non-compiling code for test 2
#endif
2. Update Your CMakeLists.txt
Add the following to your CMakeLists.txt to define the failing targets and configure the tests:
cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
project(Example)
include(CTest)
# Add a couple of failing-to-compile targets
add_executable(will_fail will_fail.cpp)
add_executable(will_fail_again will_fail.cpp)
# Avoid building these targets normally
set_target_properties(will_fail will_fail_again PROPERTIES
EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL TRUE
EXCLUDE_FROM_DEFAULT_BUILD TRUE)
# Provide a PP definition to target the appropriate part of
# "will_fail.cpp", or provide separate files per test.
target_compile_definitions(will_fail PRIVATE TEST1)
target_compile_definitions(will_fail_again PRIVATE TEST2)
# Add the tests. These invoke "cmake --build ..." which is a
# cross-platform way of building the given target.
add_test(NAME Test1
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build . --target will_fail --config $
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
add_test(NAME Test2
COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build . --target will_fail_again --config $
WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
# Expect these tests to fail (i.e. cmake --build should return
# a non-zero value)
set_tests_properties(Test1 Test2 PROPERTIES WILL_FAIL TRUE)
3. Run Your Tests
To run your tests and verify the expected failures, use the following command:
ctestAlternative Approach
Another method is to use the ctest --build-and-test mode. This allows you to separate the failing target into its own mini project:
add_test(NAME iter_conversion
COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND}
--build-and-test
${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/test_iter
${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/test_iter
--build-generator ${CMAKE_GENERATOR}
--test-command ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND}
)
set_tests_properties(iter_conversion PROPERTIES WILL_FAIL TRUE)
This approach ensures that the failing target is part of the project’s test results, making it more likely to be executed regularly as part of normal testing processes.
Conclusion
Incorporating expected build-failure tests in CMake can significantly enhance your development workflow by catching potential issues early. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can set up these tests efficiently and ensure your codebase remains robust.
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