Before I take a dive into the code on github... What is the basic methodology of creating and running automated tests of OpenSCAD? How does one verify that a module actually makes the correct shape, without visual inspection? Thanks! Len

On 10/9/25 9:20 AM, Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss wrote: > Before I take a dive into the code on github... > > What is the basic methodology of creating and running automated tests > of OpenSCAD? > > How does one verify that a module actually makes the correct shape, > without visual inspection? There are tests which do visual comparisons. Look under `tests` directory.

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite This one might be stale: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests.  I usually run it under MSYS2 on Windows.  I haven't run it on Linux in a long time, but I think it used to work there.  From inside the repo, say "osc.tests <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools In particular, there are osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles osc.mk - build

Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. I use `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very little memory and are cpu-bound. IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. -Cory On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss <discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: >https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite > >This one might be stale: >https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests > >Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests.  I usually >run it under MSYS2 on Windows.  I haven't run it on Linux in a long >time, but I think it used to work there.  From inside the repo, say >"osc.tests <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". > >You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at >https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools > >In particular, there are >osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. >osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles >osc.mk - build

My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library and I wanted to see how the "pros" do it. :-) On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM Cory Cross via Discuss < discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. I use > `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very little memory > and are cpu-bound. > > IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. > > -Cory > > > On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss < > discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > >> >> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite >> >> This one might be stale: >> >> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests >> >> Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests. I usually >> run it under MSYS2 on Windows. I haven't run it on Linux in a long time, >> but I think it used to work there. From inside the repo, say "osc.tests >> <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". >> >> You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at >> https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools >> >> In particular, there are >> osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. >> osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles >> osc.mk - build >> >> _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org

> On Oct 9, 2025, at 19:55, Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss <discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > > My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library and I wanted to see how the "pros" do it. :-) > In terms of the technical solution: What we do is a bit suboptimal; we take a screenshot (render to PNG) from a single angle, then compare with a golden image with some fuzzy image compare. “Fuzzy” has evolved over time and currently uses a pretty small Python script: https://github.com/openscad/openscad/blob/master/tests/image_compare.py The whole thing is driven my CMake/CTest using some very custom scripts and CMake functions. It’s very much not recommended to copy any of the scripts, but if you go all the way back to the start of the framework, you may be able to find a more minimal configuration: https://github.com/openscad/openscad/commit/9642787a2710324be48d99505a83f0d1f9f83a90 -Marius

 Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests.
 I use `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very
 little memory and are cpu-bound.

 IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them.

 -Cory


 On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss
 <discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote:

     https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite

     This one might be stale:
     https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests

     Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests. 
     I usually run it under MSYS2 on Windows.  I haven't run it on
     Linux in a long time, but I think it used to work there.  From
     inside the repo, say "osc.tests <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]".

     You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some
     not) at
     https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools

     In particular, there are
     osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds.
     osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles
     osc.mk <http://osc.mk> - build

 _______________________________________________
 OpenSCAD mailing list
 To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org

On 10/9/25 4:55 PM, Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss wrote: > My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library > and I wanted to see how the "pros" do it.   :-) Aha. Check out BOSL2 too then. Cory > > On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM Cory Cross via Discuss > <discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > > Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. > I use `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very > little memory and are cpu-bound. > > IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. > > -Cory > > > On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss > <discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite > > This one might be stale: > https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests > > Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests.  > I usually run it under MSYS2 on Windows.  I haven't run it on > Linux in a long time, but I think it used to work there.  From > inside the repo, say "osc.tests <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". > > You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some > not) at > https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools > > In particular, there are > osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. > osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles > osc.mk <http://osc.mk> - build > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email todiscuss-leave@lists.openscad.org

Obvious (simplistic) answer is to generate the same examples with both old and new versions and difference the results. Is there a way to detect a “null model” besides just looking at the screen? Plan B would be to do a ‘diff’ on the output STLs. Just tried it with two identical cubes: Console shows “CGAL cache size in bytes” of 0 for both preview and render…not sure if that’s definitive. But trying to export the STL gives “ERROR: Current top level object is empty”, which might be detectable programmatically. From: Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss <discuss@lists.openscad.org> Sent: Thursday, October 9, 2025 4:56 PM To: OpenSCAD general discussion Mailing-list <discuss@lists.openscad.org> Cc: Leonard Martin Struttmann <lenstruttmann@gmail.com> Subject: [OpenSCAD] Re: Automated Testing My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library and I wanted to see how the "pros" do it. :-) On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM Cory Cross via Discuss <discuss@lists.openscad.org <mailto:discuss@lists.openscad.org> > wrote: Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. I use `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very little memory and are cpu-bound. IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. -Cory On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss <discuss@lists.openscad.org <mailto:discuss@lists.openscad.org> > wrote: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite This one might be stale: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests. I usually run it under MSYS2 on Windows. I haven't run it on Linux in a long time, but I think it used to work there. From inside the repo, say "osc.tests <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools In particular, there are osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles osc.mk <http://osc.mk> - build _______________________________________________ OpenSCAD mailing list To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org <mailto:discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org>

Actually BOSL2 doesn't have any automated checks on geometry output. There are regression tests for function outputs, but not modules. The only check on module correctness is the documentation wiki. If we see something wonky in there---or if it fails to process---then we know we've caught a bug. On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 9:02 PM Cory Cross via Discuss < discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > On 10/9/25 4:55 PM, Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss wrote: > > My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library and > I wanted to see how the "pros" do it. :-) > > Aha. Check out BOSL2 too then. > > Cory > > > On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM Cory Cross via Discuss < > discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > >> Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. I use >> `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very little memory >> and are cpu-bound. >> >> IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. >> >> -Cory >> >> >> On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss < >> discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: >> >>> >>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite >>> >>> This one might be stale: >>> >>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests >>> >>> Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests. I usually >>> run it under MSYS2 on Windows. I haven't run it on Linux in a long time, >>> but I think it used to work there. From inside the repo, say "osc.tests >>> <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". >>> >>> You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at >>> https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools >>> >>> In particular, there are >>> osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. >>> osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles >>> osc.mk - build >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org

Ok, thanks, everyone for the ideas. I am going to start (I'm running on MacOS) by writing a bunch of zsh scripts that generate .OBJ files and will compare them to previously generated "golden" files. This should be interesting... On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 8:35 PM Adrian Mariano via Discuss < discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > Actually BOSL2 doesn't have any automated checks on geometry output. > There are regression tests for function outputs, but not modules. The only > check on module correctness is the documentation wiki. If we see something > wonky in there---or if it fails to process---then we know we've caught a > bug. > > On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 9:02 PM Cory Cross via Discuss < > discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: > >> On 10/9/25 4:55 PM, Leonard Martin Struttmann via Discuss wrote: >> >> My goal is to write some regression tests for my own personal library and >> I wanted to see how the "pros" do it. :-) >> >> Aha. Check out BOSL2 too then. >> >> Cory >> >> >> On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM Cory Cross via Discuss < >> discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: >> >>> Just running `ctest` from the build directory will run the tests. I use >>> `ctest -j 8` on my laptop. Unlike the build, these use very little memory >>> and are cpu-bound. >>> >>> IIRC `make tests/all` will (re-)build them. >>> >>> -Cory >>> >>> >>> On October 9, 2025 10:03:33 AM PDT, Jordan Brown via Discuss < >>> discuss@lists.openscad.org> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Linux/UNIX#Compiling_the_test_suite >>>> >>>> This one might be stale: >>>> >>>> https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Building_on_Windows#Compiling_the_regression_tests >>>> >>>> Attached please find the script that I use to run the tests. I usually >>>> run it under MSYS2 on Windows. I haven't run it on Linux in a long time, >>>> but I think it used to work there. From inside the repo, say "osc.tests >>>> <build dir> [ <ctest args> ]". >>>> >>>> You can find this and a few other things (some useful, some not) at >>>> https://github.com/jordanbrown0/tools >>>> >>>> In particular, there are >>>> osclone - clone an OpenSCAD repo and fully set it up for builds. >>>> osc.cmk - run cmake to create makefiles >>>> osc.mk - build >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>> OpenSCAD mailing list >>> To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OpenSCAD mailing list >> To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org > > _______________________________________________ > OpenSCAD mailing list > To unsubscribe send an email to discuss-leave@lists.openscad.org