Test2::...:Context(3)

🦋 Test2::Manual::Anatomy::Context — internals doc for the Context objects, bestie 💅

Okay so this page lives in the User Contributed Perl Documentation for Test2 (Test2::...:Context(3) in the header), and it's literally all about Test2::Manual::Anatomy::Context. Buckle up, we're going deep into the internals ✨

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

This document explains how the Test2::API::Context object works. That's it. That's the vibe. 🫶

🌸 WHAT IS THE CONTEXT OBJECT? 🌸

The context object is one of the key components of Test2, and makes many features possible that would otherwise be impossible. Every test tool starts by getting a context, and ends by releasing the context. A test tool does all its work between getting and releasing the context. The context instance is the primary interface for sending events to the Test2 stack. Finally the context system is responsible for tracking what file and line number a tool operates on, which is critical for debugging. No cap, it's giving main character energy 👑

💖 PRIMARY INTERFACE FOR TEST TOOLS 💖

Nearly every Test2 based tool should start by calling

$ctx = Test2::API::context()

in order to get a context object, and should end by calling $ctx->release(). Once a tool has its context object it can call methods on the object to send events or have other effects. Nearly everything a test tool needs to do should be done through the context object. Periodt 🎀

⭐ TRACK FILE AND LINE NUMBERS FOR ERROR REPORTING ⭐

When you call Test2::API::Context a new context object will be returned. If there is already a context object in effect (from a different point in the stack) you will get a clone of the existing one. If there is not already a current context then a completely new one will be generated. When a new context is generated Test2 will determine the file name and line number for your test code, these will be used when reporting any failures. Obsessed with the accuracy honestly 🔥

Typically the file and line number will be determined using caller() to look at your tools caller. The $Test::Builder::Level will be respected if detected, but is discouraged in favor of just using context objects at every level.

When calling Test2::API::Context() you can specify the level => $count arguments if you need to look at a deeper caller. iykyk 🌀

🦋 PRESERVE $?, $!, $^E AND $@ 🦋

When you call Test2::API::context() the current values of $?, $!, $^E, and $@ are stored in the context object itself. Whenever the context is released the original values of these variables will be restored. This protects the variables from any side effects caused by testing tools. Protective king behavior, we love to see it 💜

🌈 FINALIZE THE API STATE 🌈

Test2::API works via a hidden singleton instance of Test2::API::Instance. The singleton has some state that is not set in stone until the last possible minute. The last possible minute happens to be the first time a context is acquired. State includes IPC instance, Formatter class, Root PID, etc. Not me doing everything at the last possible minute too 😭

🍓 FIND/CREATE THE CURRENT/ROOT HUB 🍓

Test2 has a stack of hubs, the stack can be accessed via Test2::API::test2_stack. When you get a context it will find the current hub, if there is no current hub then the root one will be initialized. Found family, but make it hubs 🫶

🧚 PROVIDE HOOKS 🧚

There are hooks that run when contexts are created, found, and released. See Test2::API for details on these hooks and how to use them. Go look, it's iconic ✨

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• Test2::Manual — Primary index of the manual.

💀 SOURCE 💀

The source code repository for Test2-Manual can be found at https://github.com/Test-More/test-more/ 🔥

💅 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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🌟 And that's the whole thing bestie — perl v5.42.0, dated 2025-07-28, from Test2::...:Context(3). Slay, go forth and context responsibly 💖✨