Install texttest with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• interpretcore
• texttest
• texttestc

Project history

The repository history starts in February 2003 with an initial TextTest import. Official documentation says the authors had been exploring customer-readable acceptance tests since 2000 and that TextTest became the common front end for that work.

TextTest grew from text comparison into a broader testing environment with batch mode, performance and parallel execution, GUI interfaces, and integrations for version-control and bug-tracking systems. Its own ChangeLog records major milestones such as a GUI in 2.0, a static GUI in 3.0, and personal `.texttest` configuration in the 3.x line.

The project moved through a SourceForge documentation and download era and later added a newer texttest.org documentation site. The newer site states that the SourceForge documentation remains the full documentation while the new site is being built to replace it.

Adoption history

Official materials describe Unix and Windows support, SourceForge downloads for Windows installers, pip installation on POSIX systems, and GitHub as the current code host. The readme also says development was funded by Jeppesen AB, reflecting use in industrial acceptance-test environments rather than only small open source examples.

How it is used

A TextTest suite defines how to run an executable with command-line options, environment variables, standard-input redirects, and expected output files. The tool then runs selected tests and compares produced text with approved gold-standard files, often through diff-style review.

TextTest also supports unattended batch runs, GUI-assisted maintenance of expected results, self-tests written in TextTest, and related tools such as StoryText for GUI record/replay.

Why package nerds care

TextTest is notable in package-manager culture because it packages an older, opinionated acceptance-testing workflow that predates the current wave of approval-testing libraries. Its command-line programs, GUI dependencies, SourceForge-to-GitHub migration, and Python packaging history make it a good example of how long-lived developer tools survive across distribution systems.

Timeline

• 2000: Official docs say the authors began exploring high-level acceptance tests
• 2003-02-04: First version of TextTest checked into the public repository history
• 2020-03-23: 4.0 tag
• 2020-11-27: SourceForge download page lists GitHub as current source host
• 2023-12-11: 4.3.1 tag
• 2023-12-13: New texttest.org site last-updated timestamp

Related projects

• StoryText is documented as a companion GUI-testing tool suited to TextTest workflows.
• CaptureMock is listed on the official site as a related capture-replay mocking tool.
• TextTest integrates with diff tools, version-control systems, bug trackers, Grid Engine, LSF, and EC2-style parallel execution.

Sources

• Official git tags and commit history from https://github.com/texttest/texttest
• http://texttest.sourceforge.net/
• http://texttest.sourceforge.net/index.php?page=about
• http://texttest.sourceforge.net/index.php?page=download
• https://github.com/texttest/texttest/blob/master/readme.txt
• https://github.com/texttest/texttest/blob/master/texttestlib/doc/ChangeLog
• https://www.texttest.org/