GCBLUnit framework

Simple Unit Testing for GnuCOBOL written in GnuCOBOL.

Features

• Assertions
• Reporting in JUnit format
• Continuous Integration
• No mainframe required
• GnuCOBOL Docker

Requirements

You may choose between local and container execution environment.

Local

GnuCOBOL cobc 2.2+ installed.

Container

GnuCOBOL Docker container up and running. The image includes GnuCOBOL and all required dependencies needed to debug or execute your code.

Installation

Simply download gcblunit.cbl file or install by COBOL Package Manager:

$ npm install -g cobolget
$ cobolget init
$ cobolget add --debug gcblunit
$ cobolget update
$ cobolget install
$ cobc -x -debug modules/gcblunit/gcblunit.cbl --job=-h
GCBLUnit 1.22.6  by Olegs Kunicins and contributors.

Usage:      
  cobc -x -debug gcblunit.cbl first-test.cbl [next-test.cbl] --job='first-test [next-test]'         
  cobc -x -debug gcblunit.cbl --job=Options                                     

Options:                                                                        
  -h, -help                Print this help
  -v, --version            Print the version
  --stop-on-error          Stop on the first exception
  --stop-on-failure        Stop on the first failure
  --junit report.xml       Report in JUnit XML format

Usage

$ cobc -x -debug gcblunit.cbl tests/* --job='equals-test notequals-test'
GCBLUnit 1.22.6  by Olegs Kunicins and contributors.

..............................................................

Time: 00:00:00

OK
Tests: 0000000002, Skipped: 0000000000
Assertions: 0000000062, Failures: 0000000000, Exceptions: 0000000000                                  

Writing Tests

Tests are simple COBOL programs that allow futher execution (without stop run). There is no code-generation tricks nor injections. The assertions are GnuCOBOL programs and await two values - expected and actual, respectively:

call "assert-equals" using "expected", "actual".                                

This assertion, once included into the unit-testing, will lead to one failed test. More examples you may find in the tests directory.

At the moment these assertions are supported:

• assert-equals

• assert-notequals

  GCBLUnit catches exceptions and stops. For instance, the statement compute y = y / 0. is getting reported this way:

GCBLUnit 1.22.6  by Olegs Kunicins and contributors.

There was an exception: EC-SIZE-OVERFLOW in exception-test; ; 33 on COMPUTE                        

Time: 00:00:00

EXCEPTIONS!
Tests: 0000000001, Skipped: 0000000000
Assertions: 0000000000, Failures: 0000000000, Exceptions: 0000000001                       

Continuous Integration

COBOLUnit returns an exit-code of the execution that is usually enough for CI pipelines. Additional details you may export to a file in JUnit XML format by using --junit option.

Alternatives

GCBLUnit primarily focuses on Unit Testing - isolated GnuCOBOL functions and programs with an input and output.

Nonetheless, you may try two alternatives as well:

• cobol-unit-test - a paragraph-level Unit Testing framework, written by Dave Nicolette, hosted on GitHub.
• COBOLUnit - a full-featured Unit Testing framework for COBOL, written by Hervé Vaujour, hosted on Google Sites. Not updated since 2010.

TODO

• Assertion assert-greater
• Assertion assert-less
• Assertion assert-contains
• Assertion assert-notcontains
• Auto-discovery of the tests in the compilation group
• Integration with Debugger for GnuCOBOL

Your contribution is always welcome!