What is this?
Catch2 is a unit testing framework for C++ that also provides basic micro-benchmarking features and simple BDD macros.
Catch2 is a unit testing framework for C++ that also provides basic micro-benchmarking features and simple BDD macros.So it is a library I build into my own test executable, not a standalone tool?Yes — you write tests in C++ and build them against Catch2 like any other library. It ships as headers plus a separately compiled implementation that you link into your test executable.
Yes — you write tests in C++ and build them against Catch2 like any other library. It ships as headers plus a separately compiled implementation that you link into your test executable.How do I write and run my first test?Start with the getting-started tutorial in the documentation; a full reference section covers the details. The docs come in three parts: why the framework exists, the tutorial, and the reference.
Start with the getting-started tutorial in the documentation; a full reference section covers the details. The docs come in three parts: why the framework exists, the tutorial, and the reference.Which C++ standard does it need, and does it pull in other libraries?v3 targets C++14 and later (C++17 works too) and is C++-native with no external dependencies. Stuck on C++11? Use the v2.x branch; C++03 lives on the Catch1.x branch.
v3 targets C++14 and later (C++17 works too) and is C++-native with no external dependencies. Stuck on C++11? Use the v2.x branch; C++03 lives on the Catch1.x branch.What is different about v3 compared to v2?The big change is that v3 is no longer a single-header library — builds that just dropped in one header must now compile and link a normal library. The documentation has a migration guide collecting the most common problems.
The big change is that v3 is no longer a single-header library — builds that just dropped in one header must now compile and link a normal library. The documentation has a migration guide collecting the most common problems.Do real projects actually use Catch2?Yes — the README links a list of open-source projects and commercial companies using it, and the repository has been on GitHub since 2010.
Yes — the README links a list of open-source projects and commercial companies using it, and the repository has been on GitHub since 2010.What makes tests easier to write in Catch2 than in other C++ test frameworks?Test names do not have to be valid identifiers, assertions look like normal C++ boolean expressions, and sections provide a nice and local way to share set-up and tear-down code in tests.
Test names do not have to be valid identifiers, assertions look like normal C++ boolean expressions, and sections provide a nice and local way to share set-up and tear-down code in tests.How do I run the micro-benchmarks?Catch2 includes basic micro-benchmarking, but benchmarks are not run by default — you have to run them explicitly with the [!benchmark] tag.
Catch2 includes basic micro-benchmarking, but benchmarks are not run by default — you have to run them explicitly with the [!benchmark] tag.Why yet another C++ test framework?The documentation literally opens with that question and argues the case before the tutorial. In short, the author wanted a framework where writing tests feels simple and natural.
The documentation literally opens with that question and argues the case before the tutorial. In short, the author wanted a framework where writing tests feels simple and natural.What are similar projects?mocha, ava, testify, googletest, jasmine, cppinsights, coost, pest
mocha, ava, testify, googletest, jasmine, cppinsights, coost, pestWhich topics is it in?test-framework, cpp14, cpp17, tdd, unit-testing, no-dependencies, testing, cpp, c++, benchmark, developers, desktop
test-framework, cpp14, cpp17, tdd, unit-testing, no-dependencies, testing, cpp, c++, benchmark, developers, desktop