generator-test

A simple generator for Yeoman that makes it easy to start writing unit tests and use Test Driven Development (TDD) while you karate-chop your way through algorithm-based programming challenges.

Introduction

What's Yeoman?

From wikipedia:

Yeoman is an open source client-side development stack, consisting of tools and frameworks intended to help developers quickly build high quality web applications. Yeoman runs as a command-line interface written in Node.js which combines several functions into one place, such as generating a starter template, managing dependencies, running unit tests, providing a local development server, and optimizing production code for deployment.

Generators

After installing Yeoman, you'll use generators to scaffold out specific types of applications. A generator is basically a plugin that can be run with the yo command to scaffold complete projects or useful parts. Examining the architectures that popular (well-built) generators produce is a fantastic way to learn how well-established software engineers think about structuring their applications. There are generators that help you scaffold out applications built in Angular, Backbone, as Chrome Extentions, and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

Installation

Yeoman

Install Yeoman with,

$ npm install -g yo

Generator-Test

Then install generator-test from npm:

$ npm install -g generator-test

cd to (or create) your project directory, then initiate the generator:

$ yo test

Usage

When invoked, this generator gives the option of creating a testing scaffold designed to be run in the browser, or one designed to be run with Node.

Browser

If you select 'browser' when prompted, A simple mocha/chai TDD scaffold for your algorithm solution with the following folder structure will be created:

solution
├── bower.json
├── bower_components
│   ├── chai
│   └── mocha
├── index.html
├── spec
│   └── algorithm.js
└── algorithm.js

After runnning the generator in browser mode, run the tests by opening index.html.

Node

If you select 'Node' when prompted, you will be prompted to choose the assert style to use: expect or should. A simple mocha/{chai.expect|should.js} TDD scaffold for your algorithm solution with the following folder structure will be created:

solution
├── node_modules
│   └── {chai|should}
├── package.json
├── spec
│   └── algorithm.js
└── algorithm.js

After running the generator in Node mode, run the tests via npm test.

Wrapping Up

If the current working directory already contains any JavaScript files, then you'll be asked which of them you wish to write tests for. If there are no js files present, a starter file will be generated for you.

Write additional tests in the file created in the /spec dir, and your algorithm in the file in the current dir.

License

MIT License