Test2::Tools(3pm)

✨ NAME ✨

Okay bestie, this is the Test2::Tools(3pm) manual page — the docs for Test2::Tools, aka Documentation for Tools. That's the whole name moment, and it's iconic. 💖

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So like, Tools are packages that export test functions, typically all related to a specific aspect of testing. If you have a couple different categories of exports, then you may want to break them into separate modules. Slay. ✨

Tools should export testing functions. Loading tools should not have side-effects, or alter the behavior of other tools.

💀 Real talk: if you want to alter behaviors or create side-effects, then you probably want to write a Test2::Plugin.

💬 FAQ 💬

Why is it called Test2::Tools, and not Test2::Tool?

This question arises since Tools is the only namespace in the plural. The reason is that each Plugin should be a distinct unit of functionality, but a Tools dist can (and usually should) export several tools. A bundle is also typically described as a single unit. And nobody would like Test2::Bundles::Foo. Periodt. 🫶

Should my tools subclass Test2::Tools?

No. Currently this class is empty. Eventually we may want to add behavior, in which case we do not want anyone to already be subclassing it. No cap. 🌈

🧚 HOW DO I WRITE A 'TOOLS' MODULE? 🧚

It is very easy to write tools:

package Test2::Tools::Mine
use strict;
use warnings;

# All tools should use the context() function.
use Test2::API qw/context/;

our @EXPORTS = qw/ok plan/;
use base 'Exporter';

sub ok($;$) {
    my ($bool, $name) = @_;

    # All tool functions should start by grabbing a context
    my $ctx = context();

    # The context is the primary interface for generating events
    $ctx->ok($bool, $name);

    # When you are done you release the context
    $ctx->release;

    return $bool ? 1 : 0;
}

sub plan {
    my ($max) = @_;
    my $ctx = context();
    $ctx->plan($max);
    $ctx->release;
}

1;

See Test2::API::Context for documentation on what the $ctx object can do. That's the main-character object right there. 👑

📦 SOURCE 📦

The source code repository for Test2-Suite can be found at https://github.com/Test-More/test-more/. Go give it a vibe check. 🌸

👑 MAINTAINERS 👑

• Chad Granum <exodist@cpan.org>

🌟 AUTHORS 🌟

• Chad Granum <exodist@cpan.org>

©️ COPYRIGHT ©️

Copyright Chad Granum <exodist@cpan.org>.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/

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Final footer vibe: source/version perl v5.42.3, date 2026-11-03, manual name Test2::Tools(3pm) — bye bestie, go write some iconic tools! 💅✨🦋