netencode/tests

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This directory contains comprehensive integration tests for the netencode toolkit.

The test suite is written in Python using pytest and split into offline and network tests:

Note: The Python netencode module is now located at lib-python/netencode.py and uses standardized API function names.

# Run all offline tests automatically (no network required)
# Runs 110 tests: 36 integration + 15 readme + 37 manpage + 22 python (offline)
nix-build -A netencode-tests

# Run specific test file
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg testFiles '"test_integration.py"'
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg testFiles '"test_manpage_examples.py"'

# Run tests matching a pattern
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg pytestArgs '"-k json"'
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg pytestArgs '"-k manpage"'

# Run with verbose output
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg pytestArgs '"-v"'

For development and debugging, use nix-build with custom test scripts:

# Create a custom test script for debugging
cat > /tmp/debug-test.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "Debugging specific functionality..."
echo '{"test": "data"}' | json-to-netencode | netencode-pretty
echo "Testing record extraction..."
echo '{29:<4:name|t5:Alice,<3:age|i:30,}' | netencode-record-get name
EOF

# Run with nix-build (recommended for all development work)
nix-build -A netencode-tests --arg customTest /tmp/debug-test.sh --no-out-link

# Clean up
rm /tmp/debug-test.sh

Note: Only use nix-shell for network tests that cannot run in nix-build sandbox

# Enter test environment for network tests only
nix-shell tests/shell.nix

# Run network tests (requires internet)
pytest test_network.py -v

# Run all tests including network tests (requires internet)
pytest -v

  1. JSON to Netencode Conversion

    • Simple objects, arrays, booleans, numbers, null values
    • Error handling for malformed JSON

  2. Netencode Filtering

    • Filter by text, number, and boolean fields
    • Handle missing fields gracefully
    • Pass through non-record values

  3. Pipeline Integration

    • Complete JSON → netencode → filter → extract workflows
    • Multi-record processing
    • Field ordering preservation

  4. Tool Compatibility

    • Cross-tool data format compatibility
    • Python-generated records work with CLI tools

  5. Netencode Plain Tool

    • Extract scalar values as plain text
    • Handle different data types correctly

  6. Edge Cases

    • Empty input handling
    • Unicode support
    • Special characters in field names and values
    • Environment integration

Tests for every example mentioned in the README to ensure documentation accuracy:

Tests for every example mentioned in the man pages to ensure documentation accuracy:

Format Specification (netencode.5):

Tool-Specific Examples:

Key Features Tested:

Unit tests for the Python netencode construction module using the standardized API:

Tests requiring internet connectivity (separated for nix-build):

Standalone comprehensive tests for the netencode pretty-printer (not integrated into nix build):

Scalar Type Formatting:

Text Processing:

Binary Data Handling:

Complex Structure Formatting:

Output Format Verification:

The preferred testing approach uses nix-build -A netencode-tests:

The tests/shell.nix provides a lightweight development environment:

  1. No Shell Escaping Issues: Direct string handling without shell interpretation
  2. Clear Error Messages: Detailed assertion failures with context
  3. Easy Debugging: Simple to add print statements and inspect values
  4. Reliable Subprocess Handling: Python's subprocess module handles stdin/stdout correctly
  5. Organized Structure: Logical grouping into test classes with shared utilities

Tests work in both environments:

When adding new functionality:

  1. Integration tests → test_integration.py (for tool behavior)
  2. README examples → test_readme_examples.py (for documentation accuracy)
  3. Man page examples → test_manpage_examples.py (for documentation validation)
  4. Python utilities → test_netencode_py.py (for netencode construction)
  5. Network tests → test_network.py (if requires internet)
  6. Cross-language tests → Reference GENERATOR_TEST_SPEC.md for consistent implementation across languages
  7. Use the run_tool() helper function for consistent tool execution
  8. Follow existing test structure and naming conventions
  9. Test with nix-build -A netencode-tests before submitting

The GENERATOR_TEST_SPEC.md file defines a comprehensive test suite that all netencode language implementations (Haskell, Rust, Python, Nix) must pass. It includes:

This specification ensures that all language implementations produce identical netencode output for the same logical data, maintaining cross-language compatibility.