Testing compile time errors

Help & Support
1

I have some checks in my projects that will throw compile time errors if you do not have a required method defined, or adding an annotation to an instance method vs class method.

Is there a way to test these compile time error get thrown as expected; similar to expect_raises or the assert_error method in the stdlib?

2 Likes
2

This is essentially https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/2391

3

Similar, would be more interested in making sure the correct compile time error is thrown than just a true/false if it compiles or not tho.

4

Just to complete this topic. This is what i ended up doing:

def assert_error(path : String, message : String) : Nil
  buffer = IO::Memory.new
  result = Process.run("crystal", ["run", "--no-color", "--no-codegen", "spec/" + path], error: buffer)
  result.success?.should be_false
  buffer.to_s.should contain message
  buffer.close
end

Where i created separate files for each assertion, like:

require "../../../routing_spec_helper"

class CompileController < Athena::Routing::Controller
  @[Athena::Routing::Get(path: "int8/")]
  def no_return_type
    123
  end
end

Athena::Routing.run

Then used it

    describe "without a return type" do
      it "should not compile" do
        assert_error "routing/compiler/actions/no_return_type.cr", "Route action return type must be set for 'CompileController.no_return_type'"
      end
    end

EDIT: I created GitHub - athena-framework/spec: Common/helpful Spec compliant testing utilities that includes this among other additional testing utilities.

5 Likes
5

Update: Actually came up with a bit better way to handle it:

private def assert_error(message : String, code : String) : Nil
  input = IO::Memory.new <<-CR
    require "./spec_helper.cr"
    #{code}
    ATH.run
  CR

  buffer = IO::Memory.new
  result = Process.run("crystal", ["run", "--no-color", "--no-codegen", "--stdin-filename", "#{__DIR__}/test.cr"], input: input.rewind, output: buffer, error: buffer)
  fail buffer.to_s if result.success?
  buffer.to_s.should contain message
  buffer.close
end

This method allows passing the code as a string to the method as opposed to a file path. This ultimately is easier to maintain. Example use would be like:

it "action missing return type" do
  assert_error "Route action return type must be set for 'CompileController#action'.", <<-CODE
    class CompileController < Athena::Framework::Controller
      @[ARTA::Get(path: "/")]
      def action
        123
      end
    end
  CODE
end
2 Likes