[Python-Dev] setUpClass and setUpModule in unittest

[exarkun at twistedmatrix.com]

On 04:18 pm, tseaver at palladion.com wrote:
>
>Just as a point of reference:  zope.testing[1] has a "layer" feature
>which is used to support this usecase:  a layer is a class namedd as an
>attribute of a testcase, e.g.:
>
>  class FunctionalLayer:
>     @classmethod
>     def setUp(klass):
>         """ Do some expesnive shared setup.
>         """
>     @classmethod
>     def tearDown(klass):
>         """ Undo the expensive setup.
>         """
>
>  class MyTest(unittest.TestCase):
>      layer = FunctionalLayer
>
>The zope.testing testrunner groups testcase classes together by layer:
>each layer's setUp is called, then the testcases for that layer are 
>run,
>then the layer's tearDown is called.
>
>Other features:
>
>- - Layer classes can define per-testcase-method 'testSetUp' and
>'testTearDown' methods.
>
>- - Layers can be composed via inheritance, and don't need to call base
>  layers' methods directly:  the testrunner does that for them.
>
>These features has been in heavy use for about 3 1/2 years with a lot 
>of
>success.
>
>
>[1] http://pypi.python.org/pypi/zope.testing/

On the other hand:

  http://code.mumak.net/2009/09/layers-are-terrible.html

I've never used layers myself, so I won't personally weigh in for or 
against.

Jean-Paul