clitest

Doctest-style automatic testing for Unix command lines

TLDR

Run tests from a file

$ clitest [examples/intro.txt]

Show help

$ clitest --help

Run via Docker

$ docker run --rm -t aureliojargas/clitest [tests.txt]

clitest is a portable POSIX shell script that tests Unix command lines the way Python doctest tests interactive sessions. You write a text file that looks like a shell transcript ($ prompts, commands, expected stdout). clitest executes each command and checks that the output matches exactly.No special DSL: test files use familiar CLI syntax. Useful for documenting and regression-testing shell tools and tutorials.Install by downloading the script, chmod +x, and placing it on PATH, or use the Docker image aureliojargas/clitest.

PARAMETERS

*testfile*

Path to one or more test transcript files.

See clitest --help for flags (progress, prefixes, environment, and failure behaviour vary by version).

EXAMPLE TEST FILE

$ $ echo "Hello World"
Hello World
$ cd /tmp
$ pwd
/tmp

INSTALL

sudo dnf install clitest

sudo pacman -S clitest

brew install clitest

CAVEATS

Output must match exactly (whitespace and locale matter). Commands run for real with your shell environment; avoid destructive examples. Interactive programs and TUI apps are a poor fit. Portable sh, but individual tests may assume Linux utilities.

RESOURCES

Source code