Benchmark::Harness::Values

SYNOPSIS

A harness that records the input parameters and return values of each function in the target program.

See Benchmark::Harness, "Parameters", for instruction on how to configure a test harness, and use 'Values' as your harness name.

REPORT

The report is an XML file with schema you can find in xsd/Values.xsd, or at http://schemas.benchmark-harness.org/Values.xsd

This schema adds a list of <V> sub-elements to each <T> element you would find in the basic Trace.xsd. An illustration of that <V> element:

  <T some-trace-attributes-see-Trace.xsd>
    <V n="1" v="15"/>
    <V n="2" v="3"/>
    <V n="3" v="4"/>
    <V n="0" v="22"/>
  </T>

The @n attribute is the index into the function's input parameter list. If @n="0", this is the return value of the function. The @v attribute is the value you would get by the expression "$_[@n]", i.e., the stringified value of the @n-th parameter.

GETTING MORE

The reporting mechanism uses the Stringify method to generate the @v attribute. You can control what gets printed here when rendering objects (i.e., bless refs) with this simple but powerful gimmick.

Add the following to the module that defines your parameter(s)' object(s):

  package MyClass;
  use overload '""' => \&stringify;
  sub stringify {
      my $self = shift;
      return 'MyClass::'.$self->{some_meaningful_value};
  }

Put your own specialized code in stringify() to render your MyClass objects in whatever form you would rather see them. Otherwise you will see something like "MyClass::HASH{0x1bf2cd8}";

SEE ALSO

Benchmark::Harness, Benchmark::Harness::Trace

AUTHOR

Glenn Wood, <glennwood@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2004 Glenn Wood. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.