driver function

hello,

My question is regarding driver functions for debugging, and error checking. I looked through search but couldn't find anything that would explain it.

How should a driver function look? where should it be placed? do I implemet it in the program, or is it seperate? Also, if it is implemented, should it be commented as well?

thanks,

axon

What do you mean by a driver function? It sounds like you are talking about a test driver conditionally compiled into a library to test it:

Code:

---

// Library functions go here

#ifdef DRIVER
int main()
{
  // Test library functions here
}
#endif

---

-Prelude

yes, my book/teacher calls it a driver function...but I think that the test driver means the same thing.

axon

often called a test harness in the trade.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Stoned_Coder
often called a test harness in the trade.

---

great, can you help me understand it?

axon

sure.

When for instance you write a new class before plugging it into your full scale work you can write a small program that calls each of the functions you have written,stresses them if possible and makes sure expected things happen. This makes it easy to debug class by class.
Libraries by their nature are not executable programs (barring some forms of dlls) and are only compiled to a .lib. Most libraries are a collection of classes and a few free functions. If most of our classes have already been debugged then the test harness you need build for the library will also not need to be so involved.