Getting Started - Creating your main()

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Introduction

This page shows how to set up the main() for test programs that use Approval Tests.

These steps are needed in order to teach Approval Tests how to name its output files automatically.

If, after following these steps, you need help with running your program, please see Troubleshooting.

You need to include 2 lines for your main file to work.

For Catch2, it's these two lines:

snippet: catch_2_main

For all other test files, you need:

#include "ApprovalTests.hpp"

include: include_using_test_frameworks_list

If you are already using one of the above testing frameworks, that is the one you should use.

If not, Approval Tests works well with all the above. Here are factors to consider.

Framework	Minimum C++ Version	Ease of setup	IDE Integration	Compile and link time
Catch2	C++11	Very easy (single-header). StarterProject	Widely supported	Not bad - has options to speed up
doctest	C++11	Very easy (single-header)	Unknown	Fast
Google Test	C++11	Difficult	Very widely supported	Fast
[Boost].UT	C++20 ¹	Very easy (single-header)	Unknown	Fast

1: [Boost].UT works with C++17, but the ApprovalTests interface to that library depends on std::source_location, which is a C++ 20 feature.