Re: ANN: 'Testing XSLT' training course PDF available

On 14/12/2007, Tony Graham <Tony.Graham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> FYI, the PDF of my XML 2007 training course, 'Testing XSLT', is
> available at:
>
>    http://www.menteithconsulting.com/wiki/XML2007/TestingXSLT


You mention black box testing under the unit test heading... which
doesn't quite fit.

Personally I don't think you can unit test XSLT*, it's only really
worthwhile to test the output for a given set of inputs.

If you're transforming to HTML one method we had some success with was
to use Selenium - the tests were generated using XSLT off of the input
files, and run using ANT as part of the overall processing pipeline.

If you wanted to ensure, for example, that if <someHeading> occurred
in the input, that <h3>someHeading</h3> occurred in the output then
this is a good technique.  Or say, to check that all of your content
pages, but not your index pages, had a copyright statement the bottom
- you determine the page type when you generate the test from the
content.

Plus its really satisfying to generate 1000's of tests, and run them
against your entire output.

* Maybe with 2.0 and user defined functions it might be worthwhile,
but to ensure your transforms are doing the right thing, I think the
only approach it to check the output for a given set of inputs.

-- 
Andrew Welch
http://andrewjwelch.com
Kernow: http://kernowforsaxon.sf.net/