2 Test::Valgrind - Generate suppressions, analyse and test any command
9 # From the command-line
10 perl -MTest::Valgrind leaky.pl
12 # From the command-line, snippet style
13 perl -MTest::Valgrind -e 'leaky()'
17 eval 'use Test::Valgrind';
18 plan skip_all => 'Test::Valgrind is required to test your distribution with valgrind' if $@;
21 # In all the test files of a directory
22 prove --exec 'perl -Iblib/lib -Iblib/arch -MTest::Valgrind' t/*.t
25 This module is a front-end to the "Test::Valgrind::*" API that lets you
26 run Perl code through the "memcheck" tool of the "valgrind" memory
27 debugger, to test for memory errors and leaks. If they aren't available
28 yet, it will first generate suppressions for the current "perl"
29 interpreter and store them in the portable flavour of
30 ~/.perl/Test-Valgrind/suppressions/$VERSION. The actual run will then
31 take place, and tests will be passed or failed according to the result
34 The complete API is much more versatile than this. By declaring an
35 appropriate Test::Valgrind::Command class, you can run any executable
36 (that is, not only Perl scripts) under valgrind, generate the
37 corresponding suppressions on-the-fly and convert the analysis result to
38 TAP output so that it can be incorporated into your project's testsuite.
39 If you're not interested in producing TAP, you can output the results in
40 whatever format you like (for example HTML pages) by defining your own
41 Test::Valgrind::Action class.
43 Due to the nature of perl's memory allocator, this module can't track
44 leaks of Perl objects. This includes non-mortalized scalars and memory
45 cycles. However, it can track leaks of chunks of memory allocated in XS
46 extensions with "Newx" and friends or "malloc". As such, it's
47 complementary to the other very good leak detectors listed in the "SEE
52 Test::Valgrind->analyse(%options);
54 Run a "valgrind" analysis configured by %options :
56 * "command => $command"
58 The Test::Valgrind::Command object (or class name) to use.
60 Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Command::PerlScript.
64 The Test::Valgrind::Tool object (or class name) to use.
66 Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Tool::memcheck.
70 The Test::Valgrind::Action object (or class name) to use.
72 Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Action::Test.
76 The file name of the script to analyse.
78 Ignored if you supply your own custom "command", but mandatory
81 * "callers => $number"
83 Specify the maximum stack depth studied when valgrind encounters an
84 error. Raising this number improves granularity.
86 Ignored if you supply your own custom "tool", otherwise defaults to
91 If true, print the output of the test script as diagnostics.
93 Ignored if you supply your own custom "action", otherwise defaults
96 * "regen_def_supp => $bool"
98 If true, forcefully regenerate the default suppression file.
102 * "no_def_supp => $bool"
104 If true, do not use the default suppression file.
108 * "allow_no_supp => $bool"
110 If true, force running the analysis even if the suppression files do
111 not refer to any "perl"-related symbol.
115 * "extra_supps => \@files"
117 Also use suppressions from @files besides "perl"'s.
122 use Test::Valgrind %options;
124 In the parent process, "import" calls "analyse" with the arguments it
125 received itself - except that if no "file" option was supplied, it tries
126 to pick the first caller context that looks like a script. When the
127 analysis ends, it exits with the status returned by the action (for the
128 default TAP-generator action, it's the number of failed tests).
130 In the child process, it just "return"s so that the calling code is
131 actually run under "valgrind", albeit two side-effects :
133 * Perl::Destruct::Level is loaded and the destruction level is set to
136 * Autoflush on "STDOUT" is turned on.
140 When set to true, all dynamic extensions that were loaded during the
141 analysis will be unloaded at "END" time by "dl_unload_file" in
144 Since this obfuscates error stack traces, it's disabled by default.
147 Perl 5.8 is notorious for leaking like there's no tomorrow, so the
148 suppressions are very likely not to be complete on it. You also have a
149 better chance to get more accurate results if your perl is built with
150 debugging enabled. Using the latest "valgrind" available will also help.
152 This module is not really secure. It's definitely not taint safe. That
153 shouldn't be a problem for test files.
155 What your tests output to "STDOUT" and "STDERR" is eaten unless you pass
156 the "diag" option, in which case it will be reprinted as diagnostics.
159 XML::Twig, version, File::HomeDir, Env::Sanctify, Perl::Destruct::Level.
162 All the "Test::Valgrind::*" API, including Test::Valgrind::Command,
163 Test::Valgrind::Tool, Test::Valgrind::Action and
164 Test::Valgrind::Session.
166 The valgrind(1) man page.
170 Devel::Leak, Devel::LeakTrace, Devel::LeakTrace::Fast.
173 Vincent Pit, "<perl at profvince.com>", <http://www.profvince.com>.
175 You can contact me by mail or on "irc.perl.org" (vincent).
178 Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-test-valgrind at
179 rt.cpan.org", or through the web interface at
180 <http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Test-Valgrind>. I will
181 be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on
182 your bug as I make changes.
185 You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
187 perldoc Test::Valgrind
190 Rafaƫl Garcia-Suarez, for writing and instructing me about the existence
191 of Perl::Destruct::Level (Elizabeth Mattijsen is a close second).
193 H.Merijn Brand, for daring to test this thing.
195 David Cantrell, for providing shell access to one of his smokers where
196 the tests were failing.
198 The Debian-perl team, for offering all the feedback they could regarding
199 the build issues they met.
201 All you people that showed interest in this module, which motivated me
202 into completely rewriting it.
205 Copyright 2008,2009,2010,2011,2013,2015 Vincent Pit, all rights
208 This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
209 under the same terms as Perl itself.