qtpass-testing

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Comprehensive guide for QtPass unit testing with Qt Test

IJHack By IJHack schedule Updated 6/16/2026
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name: qtpass-testing description: Comprehensive guide for QtPass unit testing with Qt Test license: GPL-3.0-or-later metadata: audience: developers workflow: testing

QtPass Testing Guide

Project Overview

QtPass is a Qt6/C++ password manager GUI for pass. Tests use Qt Test framework.

Quick Start

# Build and run all tests
make check

# Build with coverage
qmake6 -r CONFIG+=coverage
make -j4

# Generate coverage report
make lcov

Existing Test Suites

The suites below are representative, not exhaustive — tests/auto/auto.pro SUBDIRS is the source of truth. Newer suites include settings, configdialog, mainwindow, importkeydialog, exportpublickeydialog, keygendialog, trayicon, userinfo, profileinit, grepsearchcontroller and passworddisplaypanel.

tests/auto/gpgkeystate/tst_gpgkeystate.cpp

Tests for src/gpgkeystate.cpp:

  • parseMultiKeyPublic() - Multiple public keys parsing
  • parseSecretKeys() - Secret key detection (have_secret flag)
  • parseSingleKey() - Single key with and without fingerprint
  • parseKeyRollover() - Multiple keys in sequence
  • classifyRecordTypes() - GPG record type classification (pub, sec, uid, fpr, etc.)

Test Fixtures

Store sample test data in tests/fixtures/:

ls tests/fixtures/
# gpg-colons-multi-key.txt
# gpg-colons-public.txt
# gpg-colons-secret.txt

These contain real GPG --with-colons output for deterministic testing.

tests/auto/util/tst_util.cpp

Tests for src/util.cpp:

  • normalizeFolderPath() - Path normalization
  • fileContent() / fileContentEdgeCases() - FileContent parsing
  • regexPatterns() / regexPatternEdgeCases() - URL detection regular expression
  • totpHiddenFromDisplay() - OTP field hiding
  • userInfoValidity() - User key validation
  • passwordConfigurationCharacters() - Password character sets
  • simpleTransaction*() - SimpleTransaction tests

tests/auto/filecontent/tst_filecontent.cpp

Tests for src/filecontent.h:

  • parsePlainPassword() - Single-line password
  • parsePasswordWithNamedFields() - Password with key:value
  • parseWithTemplateFields() - Template field parsing
  • parseWithAllFields() - All fields mode
  • getRemainingData() - Non-template fields
  • getRemainingDataForDisplay() - Hides otpauth://
  • namedValuesTakeValue() / namedValuesTakeValueNotFound()

tests/auto/passwordconfig/tst_passwordconfig.cpp

Tests for src/passwordconfiguration.h:

  • passwordConfigurationDefaults() - Default values
  • passwordConfigurationSetters() - Setter methods
  • passwordConfigurationCharacterSets() - Character set config

tests/auto/executor/tst_executor.cpp

Tests for src/executor.h:

  • executeBlockingEcho() - Basic execution
  • executeBlockingWithArgs() - Arguments handling
  • executeBlockingExitCode() - Exit code checking (Unix only)
  • executeBlockingStderr() - Error output capture (Unix only)

tests/auto/model/tst_storemodel.cpp

Tests for src/storemodel.h:

  • dataRemovesGpgExtension() - Display name filtering
  • flagsWithValidIndex() / flagsWithInvalidIndex() - Item flags
  • mimeTypes() - Drag/drop MIME types
  • lessThan() - Sorting comparison
  • supportedDropActions() / supportedDragActions()
  • filterAcceptsRowHidden() / filterAcceptsRowVisible()

tests/auto/settings/tst_settings.cpp

Tests for src/qtpasssettings.h:

  • Uses set+get pattern for each setting
  • Tests isUseGit(), setUseGit(), etc.

tests/auto/ui/tst_ui.cpp

UI tests:

  • contentRemainsSame() - Password content integrity
  • emptyPassword() - Empty password handling
  • multilineRemainingData() - Multiline field handling

Test File Template

// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: YYYY Your Name
// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
#include <QtTest>

#include "../../../src/mymodule.h"

class tst_mymodule : public QObject {
  Q_OBJECT

private Q_SLOTS:
  void initTestCase();
  void testBasicFunction();
  void testEdgeCase();
  void cleanupTestCase();
};

void tst_mymodule::initTestCase() {}

void tst_mymodule::testBasicFunction() {
    // Use set+get pattern or direct input/output
    QString result = MyModule::process("input");
    QVERIFY2(result == "expected", "Should return expected output");
}

void tst_mymodule::testEdgeCase() {
    // Test empty, null, boundary conditions
    QVERIFY(MyModule::process("").isEmpty());
}

void tst_mymodule::cleanupTestCase() {}

QTEST_MAIN(tst_mymodule)
#include "tst_mymodule.moc"

.pro File Template

!include(../auto.pri) { error("Couldn't find the auto.pri file!") }

SOURCES += tst_mymodule.cpp

LIBS = -L"$$OUT_PWD/../../../src/$(OBJECTS_DIR)" -lqtpass $$LIBS
clang|gcc:PRE_TARGETDEPS += "$$OUT_PWD/../../../src/$(OBJECTS_DIR)/libqtpass.a"

HEADERS   += mymodule.h

OBJ_PATH += ../../../src/$(OBJECTS_DIR)

VPATH += ../../../src
INCLUDEPATH += ../../../src

win32 {
    RC_FILE = ../../../windows.rc
    QMAKE_LINK_OBJECT_MAX=24
}

Test plist File Template (qtpass.plist)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>QMTestSpecification</key>
    <dict>
        <key>Type</key>
        <string>Bundle</string>
        <key>UIElement</key>
        <dict>
            <key>Modified</key>
            <false/>
            <key>SystemEntity</key>
            <string>Test</string>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</dict>
</plist>

Adding a New Test Suite

  1. Create directory: tests/auto/<name>/
  2. Add <name>.pro file (copy pattern above)
  3. Add qtpass.plist (copy from model/)
  4. Add tst_<name>.cpp test file
  5. Add to tests/auto/auto.pro: SUBDIRS += <name>
  6. Rebuild: qmake6 -r && make -j4
  7. Run: make check

Best Practices

Test Naming

  • Test file: tst_<classname>.cpp
  • Test class: tst_<classname>
  • Test methods: testMethodName() or methodDoesWhat()

Test Organization

  • initTestCase() - Setup (runs once before all tests)
  • init() - Setup before each test
  • Test methods in logical order
  • cleanupTestCase() - Teardown (runs once after all tests)

Assertions

// Basic
QVERIFY(condition);
QVERIFY2(condition, "failure message");

// Equality
QCOMPARE(actual, expected);
QCOMPARE2(actual, expected, "message");

// String matching
QVERIFY2(output.contains("needle"), "should contain needle");
QCOMPARE(QString("hello").toUpper(), QString("HELLO"));

Never use || in assertions

Bad (tautology or ambiguous):

QVERIFY(result == expected || result == INVALID);  // unclear intent
QVERIFY(result != INVALID || result == INVALID);  // ALWAYS TRUE - tautology!

Good - just call the method to verify it doesn't crash:

simpleTransaction trans;
trans.transactionAdd(Enums::PASS_INSERT);
trans.transactionIsOver(Enums::PASS_INSERT);  // verify it runs without crash

Or use deterministic setup with QCOMPARE:

simpleTransaction st;
st.transactionAdd(Enums::PASS_INSERT);
Enums::PROCESS result = st.transactionIsOver(Enums::PASS_INSERT);
QCOMPARE(result, Enums::PASS_INSERT);  // deterministic

QtTest Macros

  • QFAIL("message") - Fail with message
  • QSKIP("message") - Skip test
  • QCOMPARE(a, b) - Assert equality
  • QVERIFY(a) - Assert true
  • QVERIFY2(a, msg) - Assert with message

Windows Compatibility

void tst_executor::unixOnlyTest() {
#ifndef Q_OS_WIN
    // Test code here
#endif
}

Path Comparison on Windows

Windows uses backslashes (\) while Unix uses forward slashes (/). When comparing paths, use QDir::cleanPath() to normalize:

void tst_util::testPathComparison() {
    QString path = Pass::getGpgIdPath(passStore);
    QString expected = passStore + "/.gpg-id";
    // Use cleanPath to normalize for cross-platform compatibility
    QVERIFY2(QDir::cleanPath(path) == QDir::cleanPath(expected),
             qPrintable(QString("Expected %1, got %2")
                        .arg(QDir::cleanPath(expected), QDir::cleanPath(path))));
}

Test Settings Pollution

Tests that modify QtPass settings can pollute the user's live config. This is especially problematic on Windows where settings use the registry.

Solution: Backup and restore settings in tests

// In tst_settings::initTestCase()
void tst_settings::initTestCase() {
    // Check for portable mode (qtpass.ini in app directory)
    QString portable_ini = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() +
                         QDir::separator() + "qtpass.ini";
    bool isPortableMode = QFile::exists(portable_ini);

    if (isPortableMode) {
        // Backup settings file
        QtPassSettings::getInstance()->sync();
        QString settingsFile = QtPassSettings::getInstance()->fileName();
        m_settingsBackupPath = settingsFile + ".bak";
        QFile::remove(m_settingsBackupPath);
        QFile::copy(settingsFile, m_settingsBackupPath);
    } else {
        // Warn on non-portable mode (registry on Windows)
        qWarning() << "Non-portable mode detected. Tests may modify registry settings.";
    }
}

// In tst_settings::cleanupTestCase()
void tst_settings::cleanupTestCase() {
    // Restore original settings after all tests
    if (isPortableMode && !m_settingsBackupPath.isEmpty()) {
        QString settingsFile = QtPassSettings::getInstance()->fileName();
        QFile::remove(settingsFile);
        QFile::copy(m_settingsBackupPath, settingsFile);
        QFile::remove(m_settingsBackupPath);
    }
}

Key points:

  • Only backup in portable mode (file-based settings)
  • On registry mode (Windows non-portable), warn but cannot back up
  • Always restore after tests to prevent pollution

Gitleaks-Safe Test Values

  • DON'T: "ABC123DEF456", "sk-xxx", real API keys
  • DO: "testkey123", "/usr/bin/pass", "example.com"

Qt5/Qt6 Compatibility

When checking variant types, prefer canConvert<T>() over metaType().id() for broader compatibility:

// Qt6-only (fails on Qt5)
QVERIFY(displayData.metaType().id() == QMetaType::QString);

// Qt5/Qt6 compatible
QVERIFY(displayData.canConvert<QString>());

Temporary Files/Directories

void tst_mymodule::testWithTempFile() {
    QTemporaryDir tempDir;
    QString filePath = tempDir.path() + "/test.txt";
    QFile file(filePath);
    QVERIFY(file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly));
    file.write("test data");
    file.close();
    // Test reads/modifies file
}

Testing Getters with Default Parameters

When testing settings that have getters with default parameters, pass a different default value to verify persistence:

// Bad - returns default if persistence fails
setter(testValue);
QCOMPARE(getter(testValue), testValue);

// Good - uses different default, must return stored value
setter(testValue);
QCOMPARE(getter(!testValue), testValue);        // bool: use negation
QCOMPARE(getter(-1), testValue);                 // int: use sentinel
QCOMPARE(getter(QString()), testValue);          // string: use empty

Compound Types Don't Always Fit Data-Driven

Data-driven tests work well for simple bool/int/string settings. Compound types like PasswordConfiguration often don't fit:

  • Different tests test different fields (length vs selected vs characters)
  • Nested data (QMap, structs) complicates the table
  • Keep tests explicit and readable over forcing a pattern

Qt Test Macro Reminder

Always use the proper Qt Test macros:

// Good
QCOMPARE(actual, expected);
QVERIFY(condition);
QVERIFY2(condition, "failure message");

// Bad - won't compile or is confusing
COMPARE(actual, expected);      // missing Q
QQCOMPARE(actual, expected);     // extra Q

Testable Source Files

src/util.h/cpp

  • normalizeFolderPath() - Path normalization
  • protocolRegex() - URL detection
  • endsWithGpg() - Extension matching
  • newLinesRegex() - Newline detection

src/filecontent.h/cpp

  • FileContent::parse() - Parse password file
  • getPassword() - Get main password
  • getNamedValues() - Get key:value fields
  • getRemainingData() - Non-template fields
  • getRemainingDataForDisplay() - Display-safe (hides OTP)
  • NamedValues::takeValue() - Extract and remove value

src/passwordconfiguration.h

  • PasswordConfiguration class
  • Character set definitions
  • Length configuration

src/executor.h/cpp

  • Executor::executeBlocking() - Run command synchronously
  • Returns exit code, captures output/stderr

src/storemodel.h/cpp

  • StoreModel extends QFileSystemModel
  • setModelAndStore() - Initialize with model and path
  • data() - Returns display name (removes .gpg)
  • flags() - Item flags
  • lessThan() - Sorting

src/qtpasssettings.h

  • 26+ settings: isUseGit(), setUseGit(), isUseMonospace(), etc.

CI Integration

Tests run via make check in CI. Coverage reported with make lcov.

Linting

See qtpass-linting skill for full CI workflow. Pattern:

# Run linter locally BEFORE pushing
act push -W .github/workflows/linter.yml -j build

Web/Config Files (prettier)

Formats: .md, .yml, .html, .css, .js, .json, etc.

npx prettier --write <file>
npx prettier --write .github/workflows/*.yml
npx prettier --write ".opencode/skills/*/SKILL.md"

C++ (clang-format)

# Check formatting
clang-format --style=file --dry-run src/main.cpp

# Apply formatting
clang-format --style=file -i src/main.cpp

Project Lint

make check  # Runs tests and builds

Debugging Failed Tests

# Run single test
./tests/auto/util/tst_util testName

# Verbose output
./tests/auto/util/tst_util -v2

# Detailed timing
./tests/auto/util/tst_util -vs
Install via CLI
npx skills add https://github.com/IJHack/QtPass --skill qtpass-testing
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