Using unittest with own matlab toolbox - matlab

Question

I inherited a code base in matlab, which I like to put under unittest with the matlab.unittest framework.
To make the code base more robust against arbitrary addpath of my users, I have put most of the code into +folders like a toolbox. So the general layout is:
+folder1/file1.m
+folder1/runtestsuite.m
+folder1/unittest_data/file1_testdata.mat
+folder1/+folder2/file2.m
+folder1/+folder2/unittest_data/file2_testdata.mat
...
and updated all internal references with the correct import statements.
Now, I like to add a unittest for file1.m. However if I put a file in +folder1/file1_test.m file1.m seems not to be visible.
Here is my example code of file1_test.m
classdef file1_test < matlab.unittest.TestCase
properties
path
end
methods(TestMethodSetup)
function setunittestdatapath(testCase)
p = mfilename('fullpath');
[directory,~,~]=fileparts(p);
testCase.path = fullfile(directory,'unittest_data');
end
end
methods (Test)
function file1_input(testCase)
%import folder1.file1
testdata = load(fullfile(testCase.path),'file1_testdata.mat');
result = file1(testdata.input);
testCase.verifyEqual(result, testdata.output);
end
end
end
If I uncomment the import statement the unittest works fine. So currently I have to add all import statements to each individual test, which I like to avoid. Is there a more elegant way for doing something like this?
I tried importing it at the beginning of the file, although matlab complains "Parse error at CLASSDEF: usage might be invalid MATLAB syntax." this also works. So what is the correct and most pragmatically way for doing something like this?

Answer 1

import statements only apply to the local scope of where they are used so if you want a function to be able to not use the full-qualified name, then you'll have to add the import statement to each function separately.
The import list scope is defined as follows:
Script invoked from the MATLAB® command prompt — Scope is the base MATLAB workspace.
Function, including nested and local function — Scope is the function and the function does not share the import list of the parent function. If the import list is needed in a MATLAB function or script and in any local functions, you must call the import function for each function.
For unit tests though, I would argue that it is probably best to use the fully-qualified function name every time (rather than relying on import) so that it's clear to the user what you're testing.
result = folder1.file1(testdata.input)

Answer 2

Currently import statements in MATLAB have function scope as mentioned in the answer by Suever.
However, I often use local functions as a workaround to mimic a file level import:
classdef file1_test < matlab.unittest.TestCase
properties
path
end
methods(TestMethodSetup)
function setunittestdatapath(testCase)
p = mfilename('fullpath');
[directory,~,~]=fileparts(p);
testCase.path = fullfile(directory,'unittest_data');
end
end
methods (Test)
function file1_input(testCase)
%import folder1.file1
testdata = load(fullfile(testCase.path),'file1_testdata.mat');
result = file1(testdata.input);
testCase.verifyThat(result, IsEqualTo(testdata.output));
end
end
end
% Include file level "import" functions below
function f = file1(varargin)
f = folder1.file1(varargin{:});
end
function c = IsEqualTo(varargin)
c = matlab.unittest.constraints.IsEqualTo(varargin{:});
end
Note in this example I "imported" both your source code as well as some of the test framework source code in order to use the literate form of verifyEqual using verifyThat. Note this is the same functional behavior, but in general there exists more functionality with the constraints than with the qualification methods so this may be helpful to you at some point.