tap

What is tap?

The 'tap' npm package is a Test Anything Protocol (TAP) producer for Node.js. It is used for writing tests in JavaScript and provides a simple way to create and run tests, generate reports, and handle assertions.

What are tap's main functionalities?

Basic Test Creation

This feature allows you to create basic tests using the 'tap' module. The example demonstrates a simple test that checks if 1 + 1 equals 2.

const tap = require('tap');
tap.test('basic test', t => {
  t.equal(1 + 1, 2, '1 + 1 should equal 2');
  t.end();
});

Asynchronous Testing

This feature allows you to write asynchronous tests. The example shows how to use async/await to handle asynchronous operations within a test.

const tap = require('tap');
tap.test('async test', async t => {
  const result = await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve(42), 100));
  t.equal(result, 42, 'result should be 42');
  t.end();
});

Nested Tests

This feature allows you to create nested tests. The example demonstrates a parent test containing a child test, which helps in organizing tests hierarchically.

const tap = require('tap');
tap.test('parent test', t => {
  t.test('child test', t => {
    t.equal(2 * 2, 4, '2 * 2 should equal 4');
    t.end();
  });
  t.end();
});

Assertions

This feature provides various assertion methods to validate test conditions. The example shows different types of assertions like ok, notOk, equal, and notEqual.

const tap = require('tap');
tap.test('assertions test', t => {
  t.ok(true, 'this should be true');
  t.notOk(false, 'this should be false');
  t.equal(3, 3, '3 should equal 3');
  t.notEqual(3, 4, '3 should not equal 4');
  t.end();
});

Other packages similar to tap

mocha

Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework running on Node.js and in the browser, making asynchronous testing simple and fun. It provides a variety of interfaces (BDD, TDD, etc.) and supports a wide range of reporters. Compared to 'tap', Mocha is more flexible and has a larger community.

jest

Jest is a delightful JavaScript Testing Framework with a focus on simplicity. It works out of the box for most JavaScript projects and provides a rich API for assertions, mocking, and more. Jest is more opinionated and comes with built-in features like snapshot testing, which 'tap' does not offer.

ava

AVA is a test runner for Node.js with a concise API, detailed error output, and process isolation. It runs tests concurrently, which can lead to faster test execution. AVA's approach to concurrency and simplicity makes it different from 'tap', which runs tests sequentially by default.

README

node-tap

A TAP test framework for Node.js.

It includes a command line test runner for consuming TAP-generating test scripts, and a JavaScript framework for writing such scripts.

• Getting started guide
• Built-in test coverage
• Many reporter formats
• Extensive API featuring:
  • Great promise support
  • Comprehensive assert library
  • Other advanced stuff
• Command-line interface for running tests (whether they use node-tap or not)

All this is too much to manage in a single README file, so head over to the website to learn more.