add_testΒΆ

Add a test to the project to be run by ctest(1).

add_test(NAME <name> COMMAND <command> [<arg>...]
         [CONFIGURATIONS <config>...]
         [WORKING_DIRECTORY <dir>]
         [COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS])

Adds a test called <name>. The test name may contain arbitrary characters, expressed as a Quoted Argument or Bracket Argument if necessary. See policy CMP0110.

CMake only generates tests if the enable_testing() command has been invoked. The CTest module invokes enable_testing automatically unless BUILD_TESTING is set to OFF.

Tests added with the add_test(NAME) signature support using generator expressions in test properties set by set_property(TEST) or set_tests_properties(). Test properties may only be set in the directory the test is created in.

add_test options are:

COMMAND

Specify the test command-line. If <command> specifies an executable target created by add_executable(), it will automatically be replaced by the location of the executable created at build time.

The command may be specified using generator expressions.

CONFIGURATIONS

Restrict execution of the test only to the named configurations.

WORKING_DIRECTORY

Set the test property WORKING_DIRECTORY in which to execute the test. If not specified, the test will be run in CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR. The working directory may be specified using generator expressions.

COMMAND_EXPAND_LISTS

New in version 3.16.

Lists in COMMAND arguments will be expanded, including those created with generator expressions.

If the test command exits with code 0 the test passes. Non-zero exit code is a "failed" test. The test property WILL_FAIL inverts this logic. Note that system-level test failures such as segmentation faults or heap errors will still fail the test even if WILL_FALL is true. Output written to stdout or stderr is captured by ctest(1) and only affects the pass/fail status via the PASS_REGULAR_EXPRESSION, FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION, or SKIP_REGULAR_EXPRESSION test properties.

New in version 3.16: Added SKIP_REGULAR_EXPRESSION property.

Example usage:

add_test(NAME mytest
         COMMAND testDriver --config $<CONFIG>
                            --exe $<TARGET_FILE:myexe>)

This creates a test mytest whose command runs a testDriver tool passing the configuration name and the full path to the executable file produced by target myexe.


The command syntax above is recommended over the older, less flexible form:

add_test(<name> <command> [<arg>...])

Add a test called <name> with the given command-line.

Unlike the above NAME signature, target names are not supported in the command-line. Furthermore, tests added with this signature do not support generator expressions in the command-line or test properties.