rzzzwilson.pymlac/pyasm/asm_tests

test_harness
============

Testing **pyasm** is done by **test_harness**.

**test_harness** reads one or more test files from the **tests** directory.
A test file contains assembler code and *test comments* that define the tests
to be performed.  **test_harness** will read the PTP file generated when
assembling the test file and run the tests on the data from the PTP file.

Test File Layout
----------------

A test file is just an Imlac assembler source file with special comments that
define tests to be performed.  For example:

::

    ; test file
            org     0100
            law     1
            hlt
            end
    ;! 0100 004001
    ;! 0101 000000

The special test comments have **';!'** in column 1.  Normal comments may also
exist in the file.  Here the test comments are:

::

    ;! 0100 004001
    ;! 0101 000000

which tells **test_harness** to check that the PTP file generated by the
assembler does load *004001* at address *0100*, etc.

Test comments may appear anywhere in a test file, and are executed in the order
they appear in the file.

test_harness Usage
==================

::

    Usage: test_harness [ -h ] [ -d <directory> ] [ -p <prefix> ]
    
    Where <prefix> is the test filename prefix of files to test,
          <directory> is a directory of test files.
    
    If <directory> is specified run tests in that directory.  If not specified
    the test directory is assumed to be './tests'.
    
    If <prefix> is specified, run tests on files in the test subdirectory with
    a filename of <prefix>* .  If <prefix> is not specified all files are tested.

The future
==========

The test comments will change to be much more flexible.  Follow the design
discussion in `issue #7 <https://github.com/rzzzwilson/pymlac/issues/7>`_.