Extending Script-Based Tests

Typically, with script-based tests, you create a test file, and pass the file name to the runtests function without explicitly creating a suite of Test objects. If you create an explicit test suite, there are additional features available in script-based testing. These features include selecting tests and using plugins to customize the test runner. For additional functionality, consider using Function-Based Unit Tests or Class-Based Unit Tests.

Test Suite Creation

To create a test suite from a script-based test directly, use the testsuite function. For a more explicit test suite creation, use the matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFile method of TestSuite. Then you can use the run method instead of the runtests function to run the tests. For example, if you have a script-based test in a file rightTriTolTest.m, these three approaches are equivalent.

% Implicit test suite
result = runtests('rightTriTolTest.m');

% Explicit test suite
suite = testsuite('rightTriTolTest.m');
result = run(suite);

% Explicit test suite
suite = matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFile('rightTriTolTest.m');
result = run(suite);

Also, you can create a test suite from all the test files in a specified folder using the matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFolder method. If you know the name of a particular test in your script-based test file, you can create a test suite from that test using matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromName.

Test Selection

With an explicit test suite, use selectors to refine your suite. Several of the selectors are applicable only for class-based tests, but you can select tests for your suite based on the test name:

Use the 'Name' name-value pair argument in a suite generation method, such as matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFile.
Use a selectors instance and optional constraints instance.

Use these approaches in a suite generation method, such as matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFile, or create a suite and filter it using the selectIf method. For example, in this listing, the four values of suite are equivalent.

import matlab.unittest.selectors.HasName
import matlab.unittest.constraints.ContainsSubstring
import matlab.unittest.TestSuite.fromFile

f = 'rightTriTolTest.m';
selector = HasName(ContainsSubstring('Triangle'));

% fromFile, name-value pair
suite = TestSuite.fromFile(f,'Name','*Triangle*')

% fromFile, selector
suite = TestSuite.fromFile(f,selector)

% selectIf, name-value pair
fullSuite = TestSuite.fromFile(f);
suite = selectIf(fullSuite,'Name','*Triangle*')

% selectIf, selector
fullSuite = TestSuite.fromFile(f);
suite = selectIf(fullSuite,selector)

If you use one of the suite creation methods with a selector or name-value pair, the testing framework creates the filtered suite. If you use the selectIf method, the testing framework creates a full test suite and then filters it. For large test suites, this approach can have performance implications.

Programmatic Access of Test Diagnostics

If you run tests with the runtests function or the run method of TestSuite or TestCase, the test framework uses a DiagnosticsRecordingPlugin plugin that records diagnostics on test results.

After you run tests, you can access recorded diagnostics via the DiagnosticRecord field in the Details property on TestResult. For example, if your test results are stored in the variable results, find the recorded diagnostics for the second test in the suite by invoking records = result(2).Details.DiagnosticRecord.

The recorded diagnostics are DiagnosticRecord objects. To access particular types of test diagnostics for a particular test, use the selectFailed, selectPassed, selectIncomplete, and selectLogged methods of the DiagnosticRecord class.

By default, the DiagnosticsRecordingPlugin plugin records qualification failures and logged events at the matlab.unittest.Verbosity.Terse level of verbosity. For more information, see DiagnosticsRecordingPlugin and DiagnosticRecord.

Test Runner Customization

Use a TestRunner object to customize the way the framework runs a test suite. With a TestRunner object you can:

Produce no output in the command window using the withNoPlugins method.
Run tests in parallel using the runInParallel method.
Add plugins to the test runner using the addPlugin method.

For example,use test suite, suite, to create a silent test runner and run the tests with the run method of TestRunner.

runner = matlab.unittest.TestRunner.withNoPlugins;
results = runner.run(suite);

Use plugins to customize the test runner further. For example, you can redirect output, determine code coverage, or change how the test runner responds to warnings. For more information, see Add Plugin to Test Runner and the plugins classes.

Documentation