More info on CGI::Test namespace...

[Raphael Manfredi]

[Please, read this through, and send me comments if you have an
 informed opinion on that topic]

There was no reply to the following message of mine:

----------------------------------------------------
I'm about to start developping a test framework to allow testing
of CGI applications "offline", i.e. without plugging them into a
web server.

I was thinking to use the CGI::Test namespace.  Would that be ok?

DLSI follows:

CGI::Test     i     Off-line CGI regression test framework    RAM
-----------------------------------------------------

Maybe the fact that CGI::Test is looking too common to waste
is holding you back...?  Nah!, here's why:

Given the following CGI script:

-----------------------------------------------
: # feed this into perl
        eval 'exec perl -S $0 ${1+"$@"}'
                if $running_under_some_shell;

use CGI qw/:standard/;

$\ = "\n";

print header;
print start_html("GET form"), h1("GET form");
print startform("GET");

my $counter = param("counter") + 1;
param("counter", $counter);
print hidden("counter");

print "Title: ", radio_group(
        -name           => "title",
        -values         => [qw(Mr Ms Miss)],
        -default        => 'Mr'), br;

print "Name: ", textfield("name"), br;

print "Skills: ", checkbox_group(
        -name           => "skills",
        -values         => [qw(cooking drawing teaching listening)],
        -defaults       => ['listening'],
), br;

print "New here: ", checkbox(
        -name           => "new",
        -checked        => 1,
        -value          => "ON",
        -label          => "click me",
), br;


print "Color: ", popup_menu(
        -name           => "color",
        -values         => [qw(white black green red blue)],
), br;

print "Note: ", textarea("note"), br;

print "Prefers: ", scrolling_list(
        -name           => "months",
        -values         => [qw(Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec)],
        -size           => 5,
        -multiple       => 1,
        -default        => [qw(Jul)],
), br;

print "Password: ", password_field(
        -name           => "passwd",
        -size           => 10,
        -maxlength      => 15,
), br;

print "Portrait: ", filefield(
        -name           => "portrait",
        -size           => 30,
        -maxlength      => 80,
), br;

print p(
        reset(), defaults("default"), submit("Send"),
        image_button(
                -name   => "img_send",
                -alt    => "GO!",
                -src    => "go.png",
                -width  => 50,
                -height => 30,
                -border => 0,
        ),
);

print endform;
print end_html;
-----------------------------------------------

Here's my "t/parsing.t" test script that highlights the parsing work
done by CGI::Test (this test currently passes):

-----------------------------------------------
use CGI::Test;

print "1..33\n";

my $BASE = "http://server:18/cgi-bin";

my $ct = CGI::Test->make(
        -url_base       => $BASE,
        -cgi_dir        => "t/cgi",
);

ok 1, defined $ct;

my $page = $ct->GET("$BASE/getform");
ok 2, !$page->is_error;
ok 3, length $page->raw_content;
ok 4, $page->content_type eq "text/html";

my $forms = $page->forms;
ok 5, @$forms == 1;

my $form = $forms->[0];

my @names;
my $rg = $form->radio_groups;
ok 6, ref $rg && (@names = $rg->names) && 1;            # ok(x, 1, undef)
ok 7, @names == 1;

my $r_groupname = $names[0];
ok 8, $rg->is_groupname($r_groupname);
my @buttons = @{$rg->widgets_in($r_groupname)};
ok 9, @buttons == 3;

my $cg = $form->checkbox_groups;
ok 10, ref $cg && (@names = $cg->names) && 1;
ok 11, @names == 2;

my $c_groupname = "skills";
ok 12, $cg->is_groupname($c_groupname);
@buttons = @{$cg->widgets_in($c_groupname)};
ok 13, @buttons == 4;

ok 14, @{$form->inputs} == 4;           # 1 of each (field, area, passwd, file)
ok 15, @{$form->buttons} == 4;
ok 16, @{$form->menus} == 2;
ok 17, @{$form->checkboxes} == 5;

my $months = $form->menu_by_name("months");
ok 18, defined $months;
ok 19, !$months->is_popup;
ok 20, $months->selected_count == 1;
ok 21, @{$months->option_values} == 12;
ok 22, $months->is_selected("Jul");
ok 23, !$months->is_selected("Jan");

my $color = $form->menu_by_name("color");
ok 24, defined $color;
ok 25, $color->is_popup;
ok 26, !$color->is_selected("white");
ok 27, $color->selected_count == 0;
ok 28, $color->option_values->[0] eq "white";

my @menus = $form->widgets_matching(sub { $_[0]->is_menu });
ok 29, @menus == 2;
my @radio = $form->radios_named("title");
ok 30, @radio == 3;

ok 31, $form->action eq "/cgi-bin/getform";
ok 32, $form->method eq "GET";
ok 33, $form->enctype eq "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
-----------------------------------------------

I'm currently working on implementing the "user inteface" side
of the test, i.e.: click on that radio, press that button...

Besides, I'm needing CGI::Test for writing regression tests
for the forthcoming CGI::MxScreen framework...  I think this will
be a useful addition.

Raphael