Back to Basics: Testing in C++ - Phil Nash - CppCon 2023

Testing

Discover the importance of testing in C++ and how to write effective tests, including separating act and assertion, minimizing cyclomatic complexity, and leveraging test frameworks for fast, reliable, and consistent results.

Key takeaways

Testing in C++ is a rapidly expanding area
Writing a test is about separating the act that you’re testing from the assertion of the expected result
Test frameworks should be fast, reliable, and consistent
Code should have low cyclomatic complexity to make tests easier to write
Separate concerns and encapsulate to make code testable
Focus on unit testing, which should be fast, reliable, and consistent
Don’t tolerate slow unit tests; they’re a waste of time
Tests should provide clear and useful feedback
Consider the design principles: keep it simple, loose coupling, separation of concerns, self-containment, and testability
Tests should be self-documenting and concise
Avoid global variables and setup; it’s a smell
Don’t use unnecessary mutation; it makes tests harder to read
Don’t mix concerns; isolate and separate
Use the testing pyramid: unit tests, integration tests, and system tests
Tests should provide fast and useful feedback, so run them frequently
Avoid headaches by testing early and often
Use a separate test framework, like Google Test or CATCH, to improve testing efficiency

Back to Basics: Testing in C++ - Phil Nash - CppCon 2023

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