How to assert output with nosetest/unittest in python?

Question

I\'m writing tests for a function like next one:

def foo():
    print \'hello world!\'

So when I want to test this function the code will b

Answer 1

Since version 2.7, you do not need anymore to reassign sys.stdout, this is provided through buffer flag. Moreover, it is the default behavior of nosetest.

Here is a sample failing in non buffered context:

import sys
import unittest

def foo():
    print 'hello world!'

class Case(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_foo(self):
        foo()
        if not hasattr(sys.stdout, "getvalue"):
            self.fail("need to run in buffered mode")
        output = sys.stdout.getvalue().strip() # because stdout is an StringIO instance
        self.assertEquals(output,'hello world!')

You can set buffer through unit2 command line flag -b, --buffer or in unittest.main options. The opposite is achieved through nosetest flag --nocapture.

if __name__=="__main__":   
    assert not hasattr(sys.stdout, "getvalue")
    unittest.main(module=__name__, buffer=True, exit=False)
    #.
    #----------------------------------------------------------------------
    #Ran 1 test in 0.000s
    #
    #OK
    assert not hasattr(sys.stdout, "getvalue")

    unittest.main(module=__name__, buffer=False)
    #hello world!
    #F
    #======================================================================
    #FAIL: test_foo (__main__.Case)
    #----------------------------------------------------------------------
    #Traceback (most recent call last):
    #  File "test_stdout.py", line 15, in test_foo
    #    self.fail("need to run in buffered mode")
    #AssertionError: need to run in buffered mode
    #
    #----------------------------------------------------------------------
    #Ran 1 test in 0.002s
    #
    #FAILED (failures=1)