Tests

This document describes the intent and coverage of the current test suite.

Running tests

• Configure and build (once):

  cmake -S . -B build -DZCM_BUILD_TESTS=ON
  cmake --build build

• List all registered CTest entries:

  ctest --test-dir build -N

• Run all tests:

  ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

• Run one test by name pattern:

  ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure -R zcm_cli_workflow

• Save verbose run output to build/test_results/ctest.log:

  cmake --build build --target test_results

• Run individual test binaries directly:

  ./build/tests/zcm_smoke
  ./build/tests/zcm_msg_roundtrip
  ./build/tests/zcm_msg_fuzz
  ./build/tests/zcm_msg_vectors
  ./build/tests/zcm_node_list
  ./build/tests/zcm_node_ctrl_fallback
  ./build/tests/zcm_broker_list_ex_remote_stale
  ./build/tests/zcm_node_unique_name
  ./build/tests/zcm_node_prune_dead
  ./build/tests/zcm_cli_ping_fallback
  ./build/tests/zcm_proc_reannounce
  ./build/tests/zcm_cli_workflow

Updating the list of tests

1. Add a test source file under tests/ (for example tests/node/my_test.c).
2. Register it in CMakeLists.txt by adding:
   • add_executable(...)
   • target_link_libraries(... PRIVATE zcm_lib)
   • add_test(NAME ... COMMAND ...)
   • set_target_properties(... RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${ZCM_TEST_OUTPUT_DIR})
3. Reconfigure and check registration:

   cmake -S . -B build -DZCM_BUILD_TESTS=ON
   ctest --test-dir build -N

4. Add/update the corresponding section in this file.

Test descriptions

zcm_smoke

Purpose: basic lifecycle sanity check for context + broker + node.

• Creates a zcm_context.
• Starts a broker (inproc://zcm-broker).
• Registers a name and then looks it up.
• Verifies the resolved endpoint matches.

Files: tests/smoke/zcm_smoke.c

zcm_msg_roundtrip

Purpose: end-to-end serialize/deserialize coverage for typed messages.

• Builds a zcm_msg with multiple item types:
  • char, short, int, long, float, double, text, bytes, array
• Serializes, parses back, and validates field values.

Files: tests/msg/zcm_msg_roundtrip.c

zcm_msg_fuzz

Purpose: robustness under random input to the decoder.

• Feeds random byte buffers into zcm_msg_from_bytes.
• Ensures the decoder and validator do not crash.

Files: tests/msg/zcm_msg_fuzz.c

zcm_msg_vectors

Purpose: deterministic compatibility check for a small fixed message.

• Creates a message with type Test, int 42, text ok.
• Serializes, parses back, validates fields.

Files: tests/msg/zcm_msg_vectors.c

zcm_node_list

Purpose: registry listing API coverage.

• Starts broker and registers two names.
• Calls zcm_node_list() and asserts both are present.

Files: tests/node/zcm_node_list.c

zcm_node_ctrl_fallback

Purpose: validate control-endpoint fallback derivation for node discovery info.

• Registers legacy endpoint without explicit ctrl_endpoint and checks inferred tcp://host:(data_port+1) mapping.
• Registers explicit ctrl_endpoint and verifies it is returned unchanged.
• Covers edge cases where incrementing the data port would overflow.

Files: tests/node/zcm_node_ctrl_fallback.c

zcm_broker_list_ex_remote_stale

Purpose: broker responsiveness when a remote registered control endpoint is stale.

• Registers a remote-host node entry with dead control endpoint.
• Calls broker LIST_EX directly and verifies timely OK reply.
• Ensures stale remote entries do not block broker request handling.
• Verifies stale remote entry is pruned (subsequent lookup returns not found).

Files: tests/node/zcm_broker_list_ex_remote_stale.c

zcm_node_unique_name

Purpose: enforce unique process names across different owners.

• Registers a name with one PID and allows same-owner re-register.
• Verifies a different owner PID with same name is rejected.
• Confirms original endpoint remains unchanged.

Files: tests/node/zcm_node_unique_name.c

zcm_node_prune_dead

Purpose: prune stale registrations owned by dead PIDs.

• Registers a ghost node with a non-existing PID.
• Verifies list/lookup operations remove stale entry.

Files: tests/node/zcm_node_prune_dead.c

zcm_cli_ping_fallback

Purpose: CLI ping fallback behavior for legacy registrations.

• Registers a node without control metadata.
• Serves PING on inferred fallback control endpoint.
• Verifies zcm ping succeeds via default endpoint derivation.

Files: tests/node/zcm_cli_ping_fallback.c

zcm_proc_reannounce

Purpose: verify automatic proc re-registration after broker restart.

• Starts a broker and a zcm_proc test instance.
• Verifies the proc name is initially resolvable.
• Stops and restarts broker on the same endpoint.
• Polls lookup until the proc name appears again.

Files: tests/node/zcm_proc_reannounce.c

zcm_cli_workflow

Purpose: end-to-end CLI workflow on real daemons and config files.

• Starts broker and zcm_proc publisher/basic/subscriber processes.
• Waits for zcm names registration and validates names table columns (HOST, ports, payload bytes) plus QUERY/QUERY_RPL exchange.
• Runs a short kill/discovery cycle on subscriber:
  • zcm kill subscriber
  • wait removal from zcm names
  • restart subscriber and verify re-registration + ping
• Kills publisher and checks it disappears from names.
• Stops broker and verifies offline names behavior.
• Restarts broker, relaunches publisher, and verifies workflow recovers.

Files: tests/node/zcm_cli_workflow.c