cunit-testingpointersceedling

Unit Testing in C scope pointer issue


I am trying to implement unit testing in C using Ceedling.

struct Person *list;
/* TASK_FIND_BY */
void test_main_task_find_by_normal(void)
{
    char *string = (char *)malloc(sizeof(char));
    struct Person new_list_instance;
    struct Person *new_list = &new_list_instance;
    ask_input_ExpectAndReturn(string);
    llist_find_by_ExpectAndReturn(list, string, new_list);
    llist_print_Expect(new_list);
    llist_remove_all_Expect(&new_list);

    printf("\nOutside single: %p\n", new_list);
    printf("Outside double: %p\n", &new_list);

    task_find_by(list);
}
void task_find_by(struct Person *list)
{
    char *input = NULL;
    struct Person *new = NULL;

    printf("Input exact name/surname/email/phone: ");
    input = ask_input();
    if (input == NULL) {
        printf("Error!");
        return;
    }
    new = llist_find_by(list, input);
    if (new != NULL)
        llist_print(new);
    else 
        printf("Address not found!\n");
    
    printf("\nInside single: %p\n", new);
    printf("Inside double: %p\n", &new);
    
    free(input);
    llist_remove_all(&new);
}

I expect the function inside task_find_by to be called with the same argument as here: llist_remove_all_Expect(&new_list). But the actual function is called with the address of new pointer, where new holds the new_list. Since new_list and new are different pointers their addresses are different. Is there any way to test the called argument without changing the implementation of task_find_by function?

  - "Outside single: 0x7ffc2e3c03d0"
  - "Outside double: 0x7ffc2e3c03c0"
  - "Inside single: 0x7ffc2e3c03d0"
  - "Inside double: 0x7ffc2e3c0398"

Solution

  • Since you cannot know the address of the automatic variable new, you basically have two options.

    Ignore the parameter that gets passed to llist_remove_all() (but still check that it gets called):

    llist_remove_all_ExpectAnyArgs();
    

    Or write a stub function that can check the contents of the pointer that is passed to the function. Something like:

    static struct Person *expect_person;
    
    static void llist_remove_all_my_stub(struct Person **p, int NumCalls)
    {
        // Original suggestion
        //if (*p != expect_person)
        //    TEST_FAIL();
    
        // Better suggestion, from someone in comments
        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_PTR(expect_person, *p);
    }
    
    void test_main_task_find_by_normal(void)
    {
        struct Person new_list_instance;
        ...
        expect_person = &new_list_instance;
        llist_remove_all_Stub(llist_remove_all_my_stub);
        llist_remove_all_Expect(&new_list);
        task_find_by(list);
    }