Blog

TestBox v2.2.0 Released!

Luis Majano October 21, 2015

Spread the word

Luis Majano

October 21, 2015

Spread the word


Share your thoughts

Team TestBox is proud to bring our latest release to fruition, v2.2.0.  This release includes a collection of fixes but also several new cool features like gherkins-like syntax support, spec data binding, test listeners and much more.  We invite you to read our updated documentation book and the what's new page for an in-depth overview of the release.

You can also very easily get started or update your project with TestBox via CommandBox CLI for ColdFusion (CFML):

# install testbox
box install testbox

# update testbox
box update testbox

#what you thought there was more?

Major Features

Below you can find quick updates on our major features for this release.

Spec Data Binding

Every specification created via the it() function now receives a data argument that can be used to pass in a struct of data into the spec so it can be used later within the execution closure. This is great when doing looping and dynamic closure calls:

// Simple Example
it( title="can handle binding", body=function( data ){
    expect(    data.keep ).toBeTrue();
}, data = { keep = true } );

// Complex Example
for (filePath in files) {
    it("#getFileFromPath(filePath)# should be valid JSON", function() {
        var json = fileRead(filePath);
        var isItJson = isJSON(json);
        expect(json).notToBeEmpty();
        expect(isItJson).toBeTrue();
        if (isItJson) {
            var data = deserializeJSON(json);
            if (getFileFromPath(filePath) != "index.json") {
                expect(data).toHaveKey("name");
                expect(data).toHaveKey("type");
            }
        }

    });
}

Given-When-Then Blocks

Given-When-Then is a style of writing tests where you describe the state of the code you want to test (Given), the behavior you want to test (When) and the expected outcome (Then). (See Specification By Example)

Testbox supports the use of function names given() and when() in-place of describe() function calls. The then() function call is an alternative for it() function calls. The advantage of this style of behavioural specifications is that you can gather your requirements and write your tests in a common language that can be understood by developers and stake-holders alike. This common language format is often referred to as the Gherkin language; using it we can gather and document the requirements as:

Feature: Box Size
    In order to know what size box I need
    As a distribution manager
    I want to know the volume of the box

    Scenario: Get box volume
        Given I have entered a width of 20
        And a height of 30
        And a depth of 40
        When I run the calculation
        Then the result should be 24000

TestBox provides you with feature(), scenario() and story() wrappers for describe() blocks. As such we can write our requirements in test form like so:

feature( "Box Size", function(){

    describe( "In order to know what size box I need
              As a distribution manager
              I want to know the volume of the box", function(){

        scenario( "Get box volume", function(){
            given( "I have entered a width of 20
                And a height of 30
                And a depth of 40", function(){
                when( "I run the calculation", function(){
                      then( "the result should be 24000", function(){
                          // call the method with the arguments and test the outcome
                          expect( myObject.myFunction(20,30,40) ).toBe( 24000 );
                      });
                 });
            });
        });
    });
});

The output from running the test will read as the original requirements, providing you with not only automated tests but also a living document of the requirements in a business-readable format.

Stories Syntax

If you prefer to gather requirements as User Stories then you may prefer to take advantage of the story() wrapper for describe() instead.

story("As a distribution manager, I want to know the volume of the box I need", function() {
    given("I have a width of 20
        And a height of 30
        And a depth of 40", function() {
        when("I run the calculation", function() {
              then("the result should be 24000", function() {
                  // call the method with the arguments and test the outcome
                  expect(myObject.myFunction(20,30,40)).toBe(24000);
              });
         });
    });
});

As feature(), scenario() and story() are wrappers for describe() you can intermix them so that your can create tests which read as the business requirements. As with describe(), they can be nested to build up blocks.

Run Listeners

Every run and runRaw methods now accept a callbacks argument, which can be a CFC with the right listener methods or a struct with the right closure methods. This will allow you to listen to the testing progress and get information about it. This way you can build informative reports or progress bars.

The available callbacks are:

function onBundleStart( target, testResults )
function onBundleEnd( target, testResults )

function onSuiteStart( target, testResults, suite )
function onSuiteEnd( target, testResults, suite )

function onSpecStart( target, testResults, suite, spec )
function onSpecEnd( target, testResults, suite, spec )

 

Add Your Comment

Recent Entries

BoxLang 1.0.0 RC1 Launched

BoxLang 1.0.0 RC1 Launched

After nearly a year of relentless iteration, rigorous testing, blood, sweat, lots of praying, tears, and over 1,000 resolved tickets, we proudly announce the first Release Candidate (RC1) of BoxLang! With 27 beta versions behind us, we are now on the final stretch toward the official 1.0 release.

Luis Majano
Luis Majano
February 18, 2025
Exploring BoxLang: A Modern Scripting Language for the JVM!

Exploring BoxLang: A Modern Scripting Language for the JVM!

The amazing CFML community leader Ray Camden recently shared his thoughts on BoxLang, a dynamic scripting language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). BoxLang is lightweight (only 6 MB) and doesn’t require Java knowledge, making it accessible to developers from all backgrounds. Whether you're building CLI scriptsweb applications, or experimenting with serverless architecture, BoxLang has you covered.

Maria Jose Herrera
Maria Jose Herrera
February 14, 2025
Get a Free BoxLang+ License with Your ITB 2025 Ticket!

Get a Free BoxLang+ License with Your ITB 2025 Ticket!

At Ortus Solutions, we are dedicated to delivering the best experience for our Into the Box attendees. This year’s event will be an exciting opportunity to explore BoxLang and modern CFML development, and we want to ensure that attending in person is even more rewarding.

Maria Jose Herrera
Maria Jose Herrera
February 07, 2025