httpunit FAQ

Dear httpunit developers and users,

Please let me know what other questions you'd like to see answered in =

this FAQ and I'll try to add them together with a decent answer.
Please read the parts on Questions #5 and #6 before submitting any =

proposed changes ... this will speed up things a lot.

The response time is much higher for responses following the procedure. =

Otherwise it might take month or even a year or two before
the maintainers get to work on your responses. The 1.7.1 release has =

been overdue for quite a while now - please use the subversion snapshot for
the time being.

FAQ
=3D=3D=3D
1. Where can I get information on httpunit?
2. Where do i get the most recent version of httpunit
3. Where do I find examples for the use of httpunit?
4. How do I sign up for the developer mailing list?
5. How do I get support for httpunit?
6. How can I suggest modifications to httpunit?
7. How do I find a testcase to start from?
8. What is the development environment for httpunit?
9. What do I do if i have trouble using httpunit with JavaScript?
10. Who are the developers behing httpunit?
11. What is the current version of httpunit?

1. Where can I get information on httpunit?
-------------------------------------------
httpunit is an OpenSource Project and it is hosted on SourceForge at =

https://sourceforge.net/projects/httpunit.
There is a project homepage at http://www.httpunit.org/ which contains a =

limited set of documentation.
There is a general FAQ section at http://www.httpunit.org/doc/faq.html

2. Where do i get the most recent version of httpunit
-----------------------------------------------------
The most recent version of httpunit can be found in the Subversion =

repository.
The repository is explained at:
     https://sourceforge.net/scm/?type=3Dsvn&group_id=3D6550
the URL for it is:
     https://httpunit.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/httpunit/trunk/httpunit/

to build and test it use the following commands (after installing maven =

...)
     mvn compile (optional first step)
     mvn test  (optional second step)
     mvn package (will compile and test anyway ...)

A nice browser front end for it is:
     http://httpunit.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/httpunit/trunk/httpunit/


3. Where do I find examples for the use of httpunit?
----------------------------------------------------
a) There is a "cookbook"
    http://www.httpunit.org/doc/cookbook.html
b) There is a tutorial:
    http://www.httpunit.org/doc/tutorial/index.html
c) There are examples delivered with httpunit and accesible via the
    subversion respository:
    =

http://httpunit.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/httpunit/trunk/httpunit/examples/


4. How do I sign up for the developer mailing list?
---------------------------------------------------
via the link
     https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/httpunit-develop


5. How do I get support for httpunit?
-------------------------------------
This mailing list and the trackers on
     https://sourceforge.net/projects/httpunit/support
are a good point to start. Don't expect too much - you might want to get =

active yourself.

6. How can I suggest modifications to httpunit?
-----------------------------------------------
httpunit is strictly based on test-first development.

If you'd like to get it modified you might want to prove your point by =

showing what is not working and
how you would like it to work.

Doing this within the JUnit testsuite of httpunit is the preferred way. =

And providing the test source code first gives you much better chances =

of a quick response.

If you'd like to supply a minor change that is easy to understand and =

does not change anything or not much
  (e.g. adding a comment or changing the layout of a statement or doing =

an algorithm slightly different)
then it might be sufficient to show that the change does not break any =

of the existing test cases.
Don't count on this. A JUnit test case is your better option.

Please supply a testcase with the expected result for the feature you =

are asking for and we'll look into implementing it.
For a start you might want to get the trunk version from the
subversion repository (see =

https://sourceforge.net/scm/?type=3Dsvn&group_id=3D6550
and have a look at the source code of some of the more than 800 JUnit =

based testcases in there.

Eclipse workspace patch files are welcome - other formats are also o.k. =

but just a bit more work.

When you are ready you might want to attach the testcase (and if you =

already have started implementing it also the actual code)
to your feature request.

If you propose a change make sure that all testcases run so after the =

change there should be more
  testcases than before and none of them is broken / does not work any more.

This should give you a clue on what a proper testcase for httpunit looks =

like.
The main communication about further details of the development is via =

the httpunit developer mailinglist.


7. How do I find a testcase to start from?
------------------------------------------
a) To find such tests I usually set a break point at the function that =

I'd like to test
    and then run all tests from the HttpUnitSuite. When the debugger =

halts at the breakpoint
    you'll see which test(s) called the function.


b) Another option is to search the full source code of all tests for =

keywords that match what your are intending to do

c) A third option is to look in the tracker items
     https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=3D6550
    and look for a comparable issue. Then use the trackers id e.g. Bug =

report number to find a test case for it.

8. What is the development environment for httpunit?
----------------------------------------------------
You need a Java compiler and may be an Integrated Development =

Environment like Eclipse.
Using maven ist the simplest way to compile, test and package httpunit.
If you use Eclipse you might want to set your MAVEN_REPOSITORY variable =

to the root of your maven repository e.g.
on a Mac and or Linux to .m2/repository

Currently httpunit is mostly tested on these operating systems:
- Windows XP, Windows 7
- Suse Linux 11.3
- The latest Mac OS X (10.6)
The test environment is Eclipse Indigo 3.7.1 with a JDK 1.6 compiler set =

to JDK 1.4 compatiblity mode (this is also what you'll find set up in =

the Subversion library)

People from this mailing list also test with command line Maven =

environments, NetBeans and what have you got (it would be good to get =

some examples named
here ... feel free to let me know your environment if it is an addition =

to the above)

9. What do I do if i have trouble using httpunit with JavaScript?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HttpUnit 1.x support of Javascript is limited. There is a new Javascript =

engine in development but the development is almost stalled due to =

limited resources.
To work around the issue you might want to
- try the new scripting engine
- switch off javascript
- if you get an org.mozilla.javascript.EcmAError ... undefined ... find =

the missing javascript function, implement it and supply the patch for =

the community see "6. How can I suggest modifications to httpunit?"

10. Who are the developers behind httpunit?
-------------------------------------
Russell is the main developer of httpunit. He made it open source and =

dozens of people have since then supplied input e.g. in form of patches.
Wolfgang has been committer for a few years now - he concentrates on =

communicating with the developers and gathering patches.

11. What is the current version of httpunit?
------------------------------------
The 1.7 release available for download on Sourceforge is stable but does =

not have the set of patches since that release.
A maintainance release is due since mid 2010 and might show up anytime soon.

Thank you for reading these Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.

Yours
   Wolfgang

-- =


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