# Test::More

SKIP: {
  eval { require Some::Module };
  skip "Some::Module not installed", 2 if $@;
  my $obj = new Some::Module;
  isa_ok( $obj, "Some::Module" );
  $obj->parse( $stuff );
  is( $obj->errors, 0, "No errors found" );
}

# Test syntax

eval{ require Some::Module }
if ( $@ ) {
    skip( 'Some Module not installed' );
}
else {
    ok( $some_test );
}
[download]

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print

Thanks for the response.

I've been experimenting with this and have minimized my test code to the following:

use Test::More tests => 1;
SKIP: {
    eval{ require Data::Dummy };
    skip "Data::Dummy not installed", 2 if $@;

    ok( 1 );
}
[download]

This works fine when the required module is present, but in the case of a non-existant module (such as with the above Data::Dummy), the following is reported:

C:\>nmake test

Microsoft (R) Program Maintenance Utility   Version 1.50
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corp 1988-94. All rights reserved.

        C:\Perl\bin\perl.exe "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" "-e" "test_harn
+ess(0, 'blib\lib', 'blib\arch')" t\test.t
t\test....# Looks like you planned 1 tests but ran 1 extra.
t\test....dubious
        Test returned status 1 (wstat 256, 0x100)
DIED. FAILED test
        Failed 0/1 tests, 100.00% okay (less 2 skipped tests: -1 okay,
+ -100.00%)

Failed Test Stat Wstat Total Fail  Failed  List of Failed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
+---------
t\test.t       1   256     1    0   0.00%
2 subtests skipped.
Failed 1/1 test scripts, 0.00% okay. -1/1 subtests failed, 200.00% oka
+y.
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe' : return code
+ '0x2'
Stop.
[download]

I don't understand why this would complain of skipping two subtests, nor why it says that I planned 1 test but ran 1 extra. Is this what normally happens when tests are skipped?

skip "Data::Dummy not installed", 2 if $@;
#     ^                           ^
#     MESSAGE,                    NUM_TESTS_TO_SKIP
[download]

You are only skipping 1 test but you are telling Test::More you are skipping 2 but your plan was only to do 1 test.....

skip "Data::Dummy not installed", 1 if $@;
                                  ^
                                  ^
[download]

Will work just fine.....I even tested it ;-) Test::Harness hates plan != number of tests reported. See my Autogenerate Test Scripts for a neat little widget that will re-number your tests and fix your plan as well as writing most of the Test code for you.

cheers

tachyon

s&&rsenoyhcatreve&&&s&n.+t&"$'$`$\"$\&"&ee&&y&srve&&d&&print

I'm looking for suggestions on how to handle this. Is it better to require modules that are only needed for testing, or to skip the tests with a message to the user?

Three options:

1. Include Struct::Compare in the PREREQ_PM of your modules Makefile.PL.
2. If it's a pure-perl module then package it in with your tests. Stick it in t/lib and add an appropriate use lib line to the test scripts that need it.
3. Skip the tests. If you need to skip a few tests in a test script you can use the method tachyon showed. If you need to skip an entire script it might be easier to use skip_all something like this (untested code):

   BEGIN {
       use Test::More;
       eval 'use Struct::Compare';
       Test::More->builder->skip_all("need Struct::Compare") if $@;
   };
   
   # rest of test script here
   [download]

As to which is better... harder call. My personal tendency would be to do (1) if the tests were about vital functionality, and (3) if it related to things like checking documentation.

For example in Test::Class I require Test::Differences and a few other modules just for testing in the Makefile.PL. However the test I use for documentation are skipped if the relevant modules (Pod::Coverage, Pod::Checker and IO::String) are not available.

Also - you might want to look at Test::Deep if you're testing complicated structures. Might make your job easier.