Test::NeedsDisplay(3pm)

Usage

In your Makefile.PL...

  use inc::Module::Install; 
  # ... or whatever else you use
  
  # Check for a display
  use Test::NeedsDisplay;
  
  # ... your Makefile.PL content as normal

And again in each test script that loads Wx

  #!/usr/bin/perl
  
  use strict;
  
  use Test::NeedsDisplay;
  
  # Test content as normal...

Overview

When testing GUI applications, sometimes applications or modules absolutely insist on a display, even just to load a module without actually showing any objects.

Regardless, this makes GUI applications pretty much impossible to build and test on headless or automated systems. And it fails to the point of not even running the Makefile.PL script because a dependency needs a display so it can be loaded to find a version.

In these situations, what is needed is a fake display.

The "Test::NeedsDisplay" module will search around and try to find a way to load some sort of display that can be used for the testing.

Strategies for Finding a Display

At this time, only a single method is used (and a very simple one).

Debian Linux has a script called "xvfb-run" which is a wrapper for the "xvfb", a virtual X server which uses the linux frame buffer.

When loaded without a viable display, the module will re-exec the same script using something like (for example) "xvfb-run test.t".

As such, it should be loaded as early as possible, before anything has a chance to change script parameters. These params will be resent through to the script again.

Methods

There are no methods. You simply use the module as early as possible, probably right after "use strict;" and make sure to load it with only default params.

Specifically, need must always load it before you set the test plan, otherwise the test script will report two plans, and the harness will complain about it and die.

  # Use it like this ...
  use Test::NeedsDisplay;
  
  # ... not like this ...
  use Test::NeedsDisplay 'anything';
  
  # ... and not like this.
  use Test::NeedsDisplay ();

And that's all there is to do. The module will take care of the rest.

To do

- Find alternative ways to launch a display on different platforms

Support

Bugs should be reported via the CPAN bug tracker at

<http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Test-NeedsDisplay>

For other issues, contact the author.

Releases

8 releases since Debian 6.0 (Squeeze); the text changed 3 times.