[Python-Dev] PEP: Consolidating names and classes in the `unittest`module (updated 2008-07-15)

[Jonathan Lange]

On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 12:06 PM, Raymond Hettinger <python at rcn.com> wrote:
>> ``set_up(…)``
>>  Replaces ``setUp(…)``
>
> . .
>>
>> ``tear_down(…)``
>>  Replaces ``tearDown(…)``
>
> Am I the only one who finds this sort of excessive pep-8 underscoring to be
> horrorific?
>
> Nobody I know spells setup and teardown as two words. I dread using the
> module with these new names.
>

Hi,

My name's Jonathan, and I spell "set up" as "set up" and "tear down"
as "tear down".

> It's not going to be easy to remember where they are used (ie. isinstance is
> still isinstance but isset is now is_set). Go figure.
>

Yes, guessability via consistency is the important thing here.

>
>> fail_if_almost_equal
>
> Another thought is that test suite code is going to get seriously crunched
> when the new, longer method names meet the 78/80 column pep 8 restrictions.
>
> class TestMisc(unittest.test_case):
>   def lost_four_spaces_here_already(self):
>       self.fail_if_almost_equal('were already on the 34th column before'
>                                 'writing anything substantive',
>                                 self.testedobject.tested_method(arg1, arg2 +
>                                                                 arg3, arg4)
>       # Imagine typing and line wrapping dozens more tests like this
>
> Are there any ideas for some short, pithy, mnemonic names that are
> self-explantory and not full of underscores; something that wouldn't suck to
> type hundreds of times in a good test module?  IMO, the current names are
> already too long.
>

Well, "assert_" is strictly shorter than "fail_unless_".

>
>> * Explicit is better than implicit:
>
> Don't forgot the opposing forces:
>
> Beautiful is better than ugly.
> Readability counts.
>
> These are especially important for the unittest module.  When I'm making
> tests, I have to type self.very_long_method_name so many times it isn't
> funny.  It's easy to just stop writing tests when you get tired of it.  Long
> api names with underscores are a disincentive (IMO).
>

I find underscores easier to read—I suspect this will vary from person
to person. Typing isn't an issue since I use an auto-complete function
in my editor.

jml