Things missing from TAP

From Test Anything Protocol

• Allowing TAP output to split itself into chunks with their own plans

   TAP version 13
   ---- >> START FIRST TAP STREAM
   1..4
   ok 1 - Input file opened
   not ok 2 - First line of the input valid
     ---
     message: 'First line invalid'
     severity: fail
     data:
       got: 'Flirble'
       expect: 'Fnible'
     ...
   ok 3 - Read the rest of the file
   not ok 4 - Summarized correctly # TODO Not written yet
     ---
     message: "Can't make summary yet"
     severity: todo
     ... 
   ---- << END FIRST TAP STREAM
   ---- >> START SECOND TAP STREAM
   1..2
   ok 1 - No temp files remaining
   not ok 2 - No temp dirs remaining
   ---- << END SECOND TAP STREAM
  

• Allowing TAP streams to name themselves

   TAP version 13
   ----
   : Random test << NAME
   1..4
   ok 1 - Input file opened
   not ok 2 - First line of the input valid
     ---
     message: 'First line invalid'
     severity: fail
     data:
       got: 'Flirble'
       expect: 'Fnible'
     ...
   ok 3 - Read the rest of the file
   not ok 4 - Summarized correctly # TODO Not written yet
     ---
     message: "Can't make summary yet"
     severity: todo
     ... 
   ----
   : Check missing files << NAME
   1..2
   ok 1 - No temp files remaining
   not ok 2 - No temp dirs remaining
   ----

Why would anyone care? Sometimes you want to use all the normal tools, but your tests are data driven (fetched from a remote source like FitNesse). Unfortunately trying to use the normal tools when debugging 8000 test lines you don't know where the hell you are in terms of the overall testrun. I'm sure this can be hacked around using a certain amount of Test::Harness hackery, but it seems a shame that TAP can't deal with it.

ScottMcWhirter

I believe this is implementable if the TAP meta information proposal goes through. Schwern 23:52, 4 September 2007 (BST)