I've created a Python hack so I don't have to create/change my CppUnit test names in three places.  '''The script reads a .cpp file ( eg tests.cpp ), finds the names of all your tests, and writes the appropriate declarations to the corresponding .h file.'''

Note that this is a personal hack, released here in case it's useful to anyone, and comes with no guarantees, assurances, or claims to being good code : ) This might also duplicate known techniques, be an inferior solution, be brittle code, etc, etc.

However, I have found it extremely useful, and thus I share it here. 

Usage: 
* '''Save the script''': paste this Python source code into a text editor and save in the dir with your tests 
* '''Remove spaces''': Delete the first 2 spaces from each line
* '''Change the filenames''' ( tests.cpp and tests.h ) to match your test file names 
** ( Note that only one .cpp and one .h file are supported for now )
* '''Insert markers''' into your header file, to denote the blocks that will be autogenerated
** ( eg '// BEGIN_GENERATED_BLOCK_TEST_MACROS //' and '// END_GENERATED_BLOCK_TEST_MACROS //' )
** ( For full example, see sample .h file at CppUnitOnceAndOnlyOnceHackExampleHeaderFile )
* '''Run it''': You can run it from the command line, but much cooler to make it part of your build process:
** In Visual Studio, add a "Pre Build" event that is simply "python cppUnitHack.py" 
** In unixland, do something with your makefiles, I guess : )
* '''Celebrate''': You should now be able to write and change test names once and only once!

Note that the script expects spaces for your ( C++ ) source code indentation; if you use tabs this script may need modification. 

Feel free to refactor this source code, or tell me why it sucks, or whatever you like : )  

--HarlanWood

----
Python script follows:
----
  
  import os, re
  
  # change these to the name your test files
  testSourceFileName = 'tests.cpp'
  testHeaderFileName = 'tests.h'
  
  # gather test declarations from the source file:
  
  testSourceFile = file( testSourceFileName, 'r')
  source = testSourceFile.read()
  testSourceFile.close()
  
  # note that we ignore tests whose names are line-commented out with '//' 
  # but would still include multi-line commented out tests, if the comment began on an earlier line
  # so use line-comments '//' if you want to comment out tests 
  testNames = re.findall( r'\ns*void Tests::(test\w+)\(\)', source )  
  
  testMacros         = [ ( '  CPPUNIT_TEST( %s );' % testName ) for testName in testNames ]
  memberDeclarations = [ ( '  void %s();' % testName ) for testName in testNames ]
  
  # read header file, delete old version:
  
  testHeaderFile = file( testHeaderFileName, 'r')
  header = testHeaderFile.read()
  testHeaderFile.close()
  os.remove( testHeaderFileName )
  
  # substitute in the test names:
  
  cre = re.compile( '( *// BEGIN_GENERATED_BLOCK_TEST_MACROS //)' +                     
                    '(.*?)' +                     
                    '( *// END_GENERATED_BLOCK_TEST_MACROS //)', 
                    re.DOTALL )
  
  header = cre.sub( r'\1\n\n' + '\n'.join( testMacros ) + r'\n\n\3', header )
  
  
  cre = re.compile( '( *// BEGIN_GENERATED_BLOCK_MEMBER_DECLARATIONS //)' +                     
                    '(.*?)' +                     
                    '( *// END_GENERATED_BLOCK_MEMBER_DECLARATIONS //)', 
                    re.DOTALL )
  
  header = cre.sub( r'\1\n\n' + '\n'.join( memberDeclarations ) + r'\n\n\3', header )
  
  # finally, create a 'new' header file with the generated contents:
  
  testHeaderFile = file( testHeaderFileName, 'w')
  testHeaderFile.write( header )
  testHeaderFile.close()