Provided by: libtest-valgrind-perl_1.14-1_all 
NAME
Test::Valgrind - Generate suppressions, analyse and test any command with valgrind.
VERSION
Version 1.14
SYNOPSIS
# From the command-line
perl -MTest::Valgrind leaky.pl
# From the command-line, snippet style
perl -MTest::Valgrind -e 'leaky()'
# In a test file
use Test::More;
eval 'use Test::Valgrind';
plan skip_all => 'Test::Valgrind is required to test your distribution with valgrind' if $@;
leaky();
# In all the test files of a directory
prove --exec 'perl -Iblib/lib -Iblib/arch -MTest::Valgrind' t/*.t
DESCRIPTION
This module is a front-end to the "Test::Valgrind::*" API that lets you run Perl code
through the "memcheck" tool of the "valgrind" memory debugger, to test for memory errors
and leaks. If they aren't available yet, it will first generate suppressions for the
current "perl" interpreter and store them in the portable flavour of
~/.perl/Test-Valgrind/suppressions/$VERSION. The actual run will then take place, and
tests will be passed or failed according to the result of the analysis.
The complete API is much more versatile than this. By declaring an appropriate
Test::Valgrind::Command class, you can run any executable (that is, not only Perl scripts)
under valgrind, generate the corresponding suppressions on-the-fly and convert the
analysis result to TAP output so that it can be incorporated into your project's
testsuite. If you're not interested in producing TAP, you can output the results in
whatever format you like (for example HTML pages) by defining your own
Test::Valgrind::Action class.
Due to the nature of perl's memory allocator, this module can't track leaks of Perl
objects. This includes non-mortalized scalars and memory cycles. However, it can track
leaks of chunks of memory allocated in XS extensions with "Newx" and friends or "malloc".
As such, it's complementary to the other very good leak detectors listed in the "SEE ALSO"
section.
METHODS
"analyse"
Test::Valgrind->analyse(%options);
Run a "valgrind" analysis configured by %options :
• "command => $command"
The Test::Valgrind::Command object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Command::PerlScript.
• "tool => $tool"
The Test::Valgrind::Tool object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Tool::memcheck.
• "action => $action"
The Test::Valgrind::Action object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Action::Test.
• "file => $file"
The file name of the script to analyse.
Ignored if you supply your own custom "command", but mandatory otherwise.
• "callers => $number"
Specify the maximum stack depth studied when valgrind encounters an error. Raising
this number improves granularity.
Ignored if you supply your own custom "tool", otherwise defaults to 12.
• "diag => $bool"
If true, print the output of the test script as diagnostics.
Ignored if you supply your own custom "action", otherwise defaults to false.
• "extra_supps => \@files"
Also use suppressions from @files besides "perl"'s.
Defaults to empty.
• "no_def_supp => $bool"
If true, do not use the default suppression file.
Defaults to false.
"import"
use Test::Valgrind %options;
In the parent process, "import" calls "analyse" with the arguments it received itself -
except that if no "file" option was supplied, it tries to pick the first caller context
that looks like a script. When the analysis ends, it exits with the status returned by
the action (for the default TAP-generator action, it's the number of failed tests).
In the child process, it just "return"s so that the calling code is actually run under
"valgrind", albeit two side-effects :
• Perl::Destruct::Level is loaded and the destruction level is set to 3.
• Autoflush on "STDOUT" is turned on.
VARIABLES
$dl_unload
When set to true, all dynamic extensions that were loaded during the analysis will be
unloaded at "END" time by "dl_unload_file" in DynaLoader.
Since this obfuscates error stack traces, it's disabled by default.
CAVEATS
Perl 5.8 is notorious for leaking like there's no tomorrow, so the suppressions are very
likely not to be complete on it. You also have a better chance to get more accurate
results if your perl is built with debugging enabled. Using the latest "valgrind"
available will also help.
This module is not really secure. It's definitely not taint safe. That shouldn't be a
problem for test files.
What your tests output to "STDOUT" and "STDERR" is eaten unless you pass the "diag"
option, in which case it will be reprinted as diagnostics.
DEPENDENCIES
XML::Twig, version, File::HomeDir, Env::Sanctify, Perl::Destruct::Level.
SEE ALSO
All the "Test::Valgrind::*" API, including Test::Valgrind::Command, Test::Valgrind::Tool,
Test::Valgrind::Action and Test::Valgrind::Session.
The valgrind(1) man page.
Test::LeakTrace.
Devel::Leak, Devel::LeakTrace, Devel::LeakTrace::Fast.
AUTHOR
Vincent Pit, "<perl at profvince.com>", <http://www.profvince.com>.
You can contact me by mail or on "irc.perl.org" (vincent).
BUGS
Please report any bugs or feature requests to "bug-test-valgrind at rt.cpan.org", or
through the web interface at
<http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Test-Valgrind>. I will be notified, and
then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.
SUPPORT
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
perldoc Test::Valgrind
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Rafaeel Garcia-Suarez, for writing and instructing me about the existence of
Perl::Destruct::Level (Elizabeth Mattijsen is a close second).
H.Merijn Brand, for daring to test this thing.
David Cantrell, for providing shell access to one of his smokers where the tests were
failing.
The debian-perl team, for offering all the feedback they could regarding the build issues
they met.
All you people that showed interest in this module, which motivated me into completely
rewriting it.
COPYRIGHT & LICENSE
Copyright 2008,2009,2010,2011,2013 Vincent Pit, all rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
terms as Perl itself.