test.js/README.md

# test.js
experimental test runner....

- [test.js](#testjs)
  - [Architecture](#architecture)
    - [Combinational testing](#combinational-testing)
    - [Unit testing](#unit-testing)
  - [Basic usage](#basic-usage)


## Architecture

This package implements two testing schemes:
- Combinational testing  
  Here the user sets up a set of `Setup`, `Modifier` and `Test` functions and the system
  chains different combinations of the three and runs them.
- Unit testing  
  Simple independent tests.

### Combinational testing

In general the idea here is that you define three things:

 - `Setups` that build a test context and objects (the _setup_),
 - `Modifiers` that modify the _setup_ in some way,
 - `Tests` that test some aspect of a _setup_.

The system builds chains in the form:
```
setup -> modifier* -> test
```

Where `modifier` can me either single or a chain of modifiers.

A `setup` and `modifier` can also include assertions/tests for direct testing and 
sanity checks.

The system defines a blank pass-through modifier and test, to alleviate the requirement 
on the user to define at least one modifier and test, so in cases where it makes no 
sense only a setup is required.

Note that each element can reference and re-use other elements so for example a 
modifier can call (re-use) other modifiers to avoid code duplication.

This makes it simple to define procedural/generative tests.


### Unit testing

This is the traditional self-contained test approach.


## Basic usage

```javascript
var test = require('ig-test')

test.Setups({
    basic: function(assert){
        return {
            a: 123,
            b: 321,
        } },
})

test.Tests({
    
})


// make the test runnable as a standalone script...
__filename == (require.main || {}).filename
    && tests.run()
```

```shell_session
$ runtests
```


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