Hello,
At APH we are looking at creating a test framework for LibLouisUTDML
using the Java bindings.
There are two main uses for this:
1. To test the Java bindings API.
2. To provide a test framework/harness which can be used to verify
LibLouisUTDML is performing translation correctly.
We were aware of the existing test system in LibLouisUTDML which is a
combination of shell scripting and file2brl. We felt that system was
unsuitable as it would not be testing the Java bindings (at APH our
concern is in developing BrailleBlaster, thus relying on Java
bindings) and also that file2brl is essentially a unix only tool (it
cannot be built with defacto compilers on Windows, IE. MSVC), thus the
old test framework does not meet with the goal of LibLouisUTDML being
cross-platform.
We feel it would be good to get community comments on the test
framework before fully implementing it, however, we also felt it would
be good to have something which could be used as a starting point for
discussion. I have just committed what I would like us to use as the
starting point for discussion.
To explain the new test framework:
* To run the tests (currently only one test) change to the java
subdirectory of the liblouisutdml source and execute a command like:
ant test -Dliblouis.dir="<path to liblouis and liblouisutdml libraries>"
Where <path to liblouis and liblouisutdml libraries> is where your
liblouis and liblouisutdml shared libraries/.dlls are located.
Unfortunately it is a limitation of the Java bindings that they cannot
use the standard library search path. May be in time we can sort this
out and then only need the -Dliblouis.dir option if you need specify a
specific location instead of the search path.
* At the moment the test framework only tests translateFile method of
the Java bindings, in time this will be extended to other translation
functions in a similar way to how the translateFile tests are done.
* The translateFile tests are defined in the file
testdata/translateFileTests.xml. The root element of this file is
tests and it can contain translateFileTest elements. Each
translateFileTest element requires a configList, inFile and
expectedOutFile elements, it optionally can take logFile, settings and
mode elements. Any files given are relative to the build.xml file in
the java subdirectory (eg. the existing test has the inFile given as
testdata/list-test.xml). The settings element is the settings string
parameter to translateFile and mode should be an integer (it cannot
take the enum names for mode values, that may be a later improvement).
The liblouis and liblouisutdml data files are located in
liblouis/tables and liblouisutdml/lbu_files subdirectories of the
testdata directory and the liblouis data path is set automatically
accordingly to this location.
We feel it is quite urgent for this test framework to be completed, so
we are looking for feedback by the end of Wednesday 23 July, so that
feedback and completion of the test framework implementation can be
performed after immediately after that.
Michael Whapples
For a description of the software, to download it and links to
project pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com
