Testing interactive code using raw_input

[Oscar Benjamin]

On 10 March 2014 15:59, Steven D'Aprano
<steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
> Does anyone have any good hints for testing interactive code that uses
> raw_input, or input in Python 3?
>
> A simple technique would be to factor out the interactive part, e.g. like
> this:
>
> # Before
> def spam():
>     answer = raw_input(prompt)
>     return eggs(answer) + cheese(answer) + toast(answer)
>
> # After
> def spam():
>     answer = raw_input(prompt)
>     return func(answer)
>
> def func(s):
>     return eggs(s) + cheese(s) + toast(s)
>
>
>
> and then test func. But how about times where it is inconvenient to
> factor out the raw_input stuff out of the function? E.g. suppose you have
> a function that takes some arguments, gathers some more values
> interactively, processes the lot, and then returns a result. With an
> automated test, I can provide the arguments, and check the result, but
> what are my options for *automatically* supplying input to raw_input?

Use a subprocess?


Oscar