Let’s examine tips on how to do it in levels: we begin with the next check that
tries to compile the template. In Go we use the usual html/template
package deal.
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) { templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl")) _ = templ }
In Java, we use jmustache
as a result of it is quite simple to make use of; Freemarker or
Velocity are different widespread decisions.
Java
@Check void indexIsSoundHtml() { var template = Mustache.compiler().compile( new InputStreamReader( getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl"))); }
If we run this check, it should fail, as a result of the index.tmpl
file does
not exist. So we create it, with the above damaged HTML. Now the check ought to go.
Then we create a mannequin for the template to make use of. The appliance manages a todo-list, and
we are able to create a minimal mannequin for demonstration functions.
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
_ = templ
_ = mannequin
}
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
}
Now we render the template, saving the leads to a bytes buffer (Go) or as a String
(Java).
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
var buf bytes.Buffer
err := templ.Execute(&buf, mannequin)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
}
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
var html = template.execute(mannequin);
}
At this level, we need to parse the HTML and we anticipate to see an
error, as a result of in our damaged HTML there’s a div
component that
is closed by a p
component. There may be an HTML parser within the Go
customary library, however it’s too lenient: if we run it on our damaged HTML, we do not get an
error. Fortunately, the Go customary library additionally has an XML parser that may be
configured to parse HTML (due to this Stack Overflow reply)
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
// render the template right into a buffer
var buf bytes.Buffer
err := templ.Execute(&buf, mannequin)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
// test that the template might be parsed as (lenient) XML
decoder := xml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(buf.Bytes()))
decoder.Strict = false
decoder.AutoClose = xml.HTMLAutoClose
decoder.Entity = xml.HTMLEntity
for {
_, err := decoder.Token()
swap err {
case io.EOF:
return // We're executed, it is legitimate!
case nil:
// do nothing
default:
t.Fatalf("Error parsing html: %s", err)
}
}
}
This code configures the HTML parser to have the precise stage of leniency
for HTML, after which parses the HTML token by token. Certainly, we see the error
message we needed:
--- FAIL: Test_wellFormedHtml (0.00s) index_template_test.go:61: Error parsing html: XML syntax error on line 4: surprising finish component
In Java, a flexible library to make use of is jsoup:
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
var html = template.execute(mannequin);
var parser = Parser.htmlParser().setTrackErrors(10);
Jsoup.parse(html, "", parser);
assertThat(parser.getErrors()).isEmpty();
}
And we see it fail:
java.lang.AssertionError: Anticipating empty however was:<[<1:13>: Unexpected EndTag token [] when in state [InBody],
Success! Now if we copy over the contents of the TodoMVC
template to our index.tmpl
file, the check passes.
The check, nonetheless, is simply too verbose: we extract two helper features, in
order to make the intention of the check clearer, and we get
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) { mannequin := todo.NewList() buf := renderTemplate("index.tmpl", mannequin) assertWellFormedHtml(t, buf) }
Java
@Check void indexIsSoundHtml() { var mannequin = new TodoList(); var html = renderTemplate("/index.tmpl", mannequin); assertSoundHtml(html); }
Degree 2: testing HTML construction
What else ought to we check?
We all know that the seems of a web page can solely be examined, in the end, by a
human how it’s rendered in a browser. Nevertheless, there may be typically
logic in templates, and we would like to have the ability to check that logic.
One could be tempted to check the rendered HTML with string equality,
however this method fails in observe, as a result of templates include lots of
particulars that make string equality assertions impractical. The assertions
turn into very verbose, and when studying the assertion, it turns into troublesome
to know what it’s that we’re attempting to show.
What we want
is a way to claim that some components of the rendered HTML
correspond to what we anticipate, and to ignore all the main points we do not
care about. A technique to do that is by working queries with the CSS selector language:
it’s a highly effective language that enables us to pick the
components that we care about from the entire HTML doc. As soon as we now have
chosen these components, we (1) rely that the variety of component returned
is what we anticipate, and (2) that they include the textual content or different content material
that we anticipate.
The UI that we’re speculated to generate seems like this:

There are a number of particulars which might be rendered dynamically:
- The variety of gadgets and their textual content content material change, clearly
- The model of the todo-item adjustments when it is accomplished (e.g., the
second) - The “2 gadgets left” textual content will change with the variety of non-completed
gadgets - One of many three buttons “All”, “Energetic”, “Accomplished” will likely be
highlighted, relying on the present url; as an example if we determine that the
url that reveals solely the “Energetic” gadgets is/lively
, then when the present url
is/lively
, the “Energetic” button must be surrounded by a skinny crimson
rectangle - The “Clear accomplished” button ought to solely be seen if any merchandise is
accomplished
Every of this considerations might be examined with the assistance of CSS selectors.
This can be a snippet from the TodoMVC template (barely simplified). I
haven’t but added the dynamic bits, so what we see right here is static
content material, supplied for instance:
index.tmpl
Let’s examine tips on how to do it in levels: we begin with the next check that
tries to compile the template. In Go we use the usual html/template
package deal.
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) { templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl")) _ = templ }
In Java, we use jmustache
as a result of it is quite simple to make use of; Freemarker or
Velocity are different widespread decisions.
Java
@Check void indexIsSoundHtml() { var template = Mustache.compiler().compile( new InputStreamReader( getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl"))); }
If we run this check, it should fail, as a result of the index.tmpl
file does
not exist. So we create it, with the above damaged HTML. Now the check ought to go.
Then we create a mannequin for the template to make use of. The appliance manages a todo-list, and
we are able to create a minimal mannequin for demonstration functions.
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
_ = templ
_ = mannequin
}
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
}
Now we render the template, saving the leads to a bytes buffer (Go) or as a String
(Java).
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
var buf bytes.Buffer
err := templ.Execute(&buf, mannequin)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
}
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
var html = template.execute(mannequin);
}
At this level, we need to parse the HTML and we anticipate to see an
error, as a result of in our damaged HTML there’s a div
component that
is closed by a p
component. There may be an HTML parser within the Go
customary library, however it’s too lenient: if we run it on our damaged HTML, we do not get an
error. Fortunately, the Go customary library additionally has an XML parser that may be
configured to parse HTML (due to this Stack Overflow reply)
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) {
templ := template.Should(template.ParseFiles("index.tmpl"))
mannequin := todo.NewList()
// render the template right into a buffer
var buf bytes.Buffer
err := templ.Execute(&buf, mannequin)
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
// test that the template might be parsed as (lenient) XML
decoder := xml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(buf.Bytes()))
decoder.Strict = false
decoder.AutoClose = xml.HTMLAutoClose
decoder.Entity = xml.HTMLEntity
for {
_, err := decoder.Token()
swap err {
case io.EOF:
return // We're executed, it is legitimate!
case nil:
// do nothing
default:
t.Fatalf("Error parsing html: %s", err)
}
}
}
This code configures the HTML parser to have the precise stage of leniency
for HTML, after which parses the HTML token by token. Certainly, we see the error
message we needed:
--- FAIL: Test_wellFormedHtml (0.00s) index_template_test.go:61: Error parsing html: XML syntax error on line 4: surprising finish component
In Java, a flexible library to make use of is jsoup:
Java
@Check
void indexIsSoundHtml() {
var template = Mustache.compiler().compile(
new InputStreamReader(
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/index.tmpl")));
var mannequin = new TodoList();
var html = template.execute(mannequin);
var parser = Parser.htmlParser().setTrackErrors(10);
Jsoup.parse(html, "", parser);
assertThat(parser.getErrors()).isEmpty();
}
And we see it fail:
java.lang.AssertionError: Anticipating empty however was:<[<1:13>: Unexpected EndTag token [] when in state [InBody],
Success! Now if we copy over the contents of the TodoMVC
template to our index.tmpl
file, the check passes.
The check, nonetheless, is simply too verbose: we extract two helper features, in
order to make the intention of the check clearer, and we get
Go
func Test_wellFormedHtml(t *testing.T) { mannequin := todo.NewList() buf := renderTemplate("index.tmpl", mannequin) assertWellFormedHtml(t, buf) }
Java
@Check void indexIsSoundHtml() { var mannequin = new TodoList(); var html = renderTemplate("/index.tmpl", mannequin); assertSoundHtml(html); }
Degree 2: testing HTML construction
What else ought to we check?
We all know that the seems of a web page can solely be examined, in the end, by a
human how it’s rendered in a browser. Nevertheless, there may be typically
logic in templates, and we would like to have the ability to check that logic.
One could be tempted to check the rendered HTML with string equality,
however this method fails in observe, as a result of templates include lots of
particulars that make string equality assertions impractical. The assertions
turn into very verbose, and when studying the assertion, it turns into troublesome
to know what it’s that we’re attempting to show.
What we want
is a way to claim that some components of the rendered HTML
correspond to what we anticipate, and to ignore all the main points we do not
care about. A technique to do that is by working queries with the CSS selector language:
it’s a highly effective language that enables us to pick the
components that we care about from the entire HTML doc. As soon as we now have
chosen these components, we (1) rely that the variety of component returned
is what we anticipate, and (2) that they include the textual content or different content material
that we anticipate.
The UI that we’re speculated to generate seems like this:

There are a number of particulars which might be rendered dynamically:
- The variety of gadgets and their textual content content material change, clearly
- The model of the todo-item adjustments when it is accomplished (e.g., the
second) - The “2 gadgets left” textual content will change with the variety of non-completed
gadgets - One of many three buttons “All”, “Energetic”, “Accomplished” will likely be
highlighted, relying on the present url; as an example if we determine that the
url that reveals solely the “Energetic” gadgets is/lively
, then when the present url
is/lively
, the “Energetic” button must be surrounded by a skinny crimson
rectangle - The “Clear accomplished” button ought to solely be seen if any merchandise is
accomplished
Every of this considerations might be examined with the assistance of CSS selectors.
This can be a snippet from the TodoMVC template (barely simplified). I
haven’t but added the dynamic bits, so what we see right here is static
content material, supplied for instance:
index.tmpl