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(**Note:** If you get compiler errors that you don't understand, be sure to consult [Google Mock Doctor](http://code.google.com/p/googlemock/wiki/V1_7_FrequentlyAskedQuestions#How_am_I_supposed_to_make_sense_of_these_horrible_template_error).)

# What Is Google C++ Mocking Framework? #
When you write a prototype or test, often it's not feasible or wise to rely on real objects entirely. A **mock object** implements the same interface as a real object (so it can be used as one), but lets you specify at run time how it will be used and what it should do (which methods will be called? in which order? how many times? with what arguments? what will they return? etc).

**Note:** It is easy to confuse the term _fake objects_ with mock objects. Fakes and mocks actually mean very different things in the Test-Driven Development (TDD) community:

  * **Fake** objects have working implementations, but usually take some shortcut (perhaps to make the operations less expensive), which makes them not suitable for production. An in-memory file system would be an example of a fake.
  * **Mocks** are objects pre-programmed with _expectations_, which form a specification of the calls they are expected to receive.

If all this seems too abstract for you, don't worry - the most important thing to remember is that a mock allows you to check the _interaction_ between itself and code that uses it. The difference between fakes and mocks will become much clearer once you start to use mocks.

**Google C++ Mocking Framework** (or **Google Mock** for short) is a library (sometimes we also call it a "framework" to make it sound cool) for creating mock classes and using them. It does to C++ what [jMock](http://www.jmock.org/) and [EasyMock](http://www.easymock.org/) do to Java.

Using Google Mock involves three basic steps:

  1. Use some simple macros to describe the interface you want to mock, and they will expand to the implementation of your mock class;
  1. Create some mock objects and specify its expectations and behavior using an intuitive syntax;
  1. Exercise code that uses the mock objects. Google Mock will catch any violation of the expectations as soon as it arises.

# Why Google Mock? #
While mock objects help you remove unnecessary dependencies in tests and make them fast and reliable, using mocks manually in C++ is _hard_:

  * Someone has to implement the mocks. The job is usually tedious and error-prone. No wonder people go great distance to avoid it.
  * The quality of those manually written mocks is a bit, uh, unpredictable. You may see some really polished ones, but you may also see some that were hacked up in a hurry and have all sorts of ad hoc restrictions.
  * The knowledge you gained from using one mock doesn't transfer to the next.

In contrast, Java and Python programmers have some fine mock frameworks, which automate the creation of mocks. As a result, mocking is a proven effective technique and widely adopted practice in those communities. Having the right tool absolutely makes the difference.

Google Mock was built to help C++ programmers. It was inspired by [jMock](http://www.jmock.org/) and [EasyMock](http://www.easymock.org/), but designed with C++'s specifics in mind. It is your friend if any of the following problems is bothering you:

  * You are stuck with a sub-optimal design and wish you had done more prototyping before it was too late, but prototyping in C++ is by no means "rapid".
  * Your tests are slow as they depend on too many libraries or use expensive resources (e.g. a database).
  * Your tests are brittle as some resources they use are unreliable (e.g. the network).
  * You want to test how your code handles a failure (e.g. a file checksum error), but it's not easy to cause one.
  * You need to make sure that your module interacts with other modules in the right way, but it's hard to observe the interaction; therefore you resort to observing the side effects at the end of the action, which is awkward at best.
  * You want to "mock out" your dependencies, except that they don't have mock implementations yet; and, frankly, you aren't thrilled by some of those hand-written mocks.

We encourage you to use Google Mock as:

  * a _design_ tool, for it lets you experiment with your interface design early and often. More iterations lead to better designs!
  * a _testing_ tool to cut your tests' outbound dependencies and probe the interaction between your module and its collaborators.

# Getting Started #
Using Google Mock is easy! Inside your C++ source file, just `#include` `"gtest/gtest.h"` and `"gmock/gmock.h"`, and you are ready to go.

# A Case for Mock Turtles #
Let's look at an example. Suppose you are developing a graphics program that relies on a LOGO-like API for drawing. How would you test that it does the right thing? Well, you can run it and compare the screen with a golden screen snapshot, but let's admit it: tests like this are expensive to run and fragile (What if you just upgraded to a shiny new graphics card that has better anti-aliasing? Suddenly you have to update all your golden images.). It would be too painful if all your tests are like this. Fortunately, you learned about Dependency Injection and know the right thing to do: instead of having your application talk to the drawing API directly, wrap the API in an interface (say, `Turtle`) and code to that interface:

```
class Turtle {
  ...
  virtual ~Turtle() {}
  virtual void PenUp() = 0;
  virtual void PenDown() = 0;
  virtual void Forward(int distance) = 0;
  virtual void Turn(int degrees) = 0;
  virtual void GoTo(int x, int y) = 0;
  virtual int GetX() const = 0;
  virtual int GetY() const = 0;
};
```

(Note that the destructor of `Turtle` **must** be virtual, as is the case for **all** classes you intend to inherit from - otherwise the destructor of the derived class will not be called when you delete an object through a base pointer, and you'll get corrupted program states like memory leaks.)

You can control whether the turtle's movement will leave a trace using `PenUp()` and `PenDown()`, and control its movement using `Forward()`, `Turn()`, and `GoTo()`. Finally, `GetX()` and `GetY()` tell you the current position of the turtle.

Your program will normally use a real implementation of this interface. In tests, you can use a mock implementation instead. This allows you to easily check what drawing primitives your program is calling, with what arguments, and in which order. Tests written this way are much more robust (they won't break because your new machine does anti-aliasing differently), easier to read and maintain (the intent of a test is expressed in the code, not in some binary images), and run _much, much faster_.

# Writing the Mock Class #
If you are lucky, the mocks you need to use have already been implemented by some nice people. If, however, you find yourself in the position to write a mock class, relax - Google Mock turns this task into a fun game! (Well, almost.)

## How to Define It ##
Using the `Turtle` interface as example, here are the simple steps you need to follow:

  1. Derive a class `MockTurtle` from `Turtle`.
  1. Take a _virtual_ function of `Turtle` (while it's possible to [mock non-virtual methods using templates](http://code.google.com/p/googlemock/wiki/V1_7_CookBook#Mocking_Nonvirtual_Methods), it's much more involved). Count how many arguments it has.
  1. In the `public:` section of the child class, write `MOCK_METHODn();` (or `MOCK_CONST_METHODn();` if you are mocking a `const` method), where `n` is the number of the arguments; if you counted wrong, shame on you, and a compiler error will tell you so.
  1. Now comes the fun part: you take the function signature, cut-and-paste the _function name_ as the _first_ argument to the macro, and leave what's left as the _second_ argument (in case you're curious, this is the _type of the function_).
  1. Repeat until all virtual functions you want to mock are done.

After the process, you should have something like:

```
#include "gmock/gmock.h"  // Brings in Google Mock.
class MockTurtle : public Turtle {
 public:
  ...
  MOCK_METHOD0(PenUp, void());
  MOCK_METHOD0(PenDown, void());
  MOCK_METHOD1(Forward, void(int distance));
  MOCK_METHOD1(Turn, void(int degrees));
  MOCK_METHOD2(GoTo, void(int x, int y));
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(GetX, int());
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(GetY, int());
};
```

You don't need to define these mock methods somewhere else - the `MOCK_METHOD*` macros will generate the definitions for you. It's that simple! Once you get the hang of it, you can pump out mock classes faster than your source-control system can handle your check-ins.

**Tip:** If even this is too much work for you, you'll find the
`gmock_gen.py` tool in Google Mock's `scripts/generator/` directory (courtesy of the [cppclean](http://code.google.com/p/cppclean/) project) useful.  This command-line
tool requires that you have Python 2.4 installed.  You give it a C++ file and the name of an abstract class defined in it,
and it will print the definition of the mock class for you.  Due to the
complexity of the C++ language, this script may not always work, but
it can be quite handy when it does.  For more details, read the [user documentation](http://code.google.com/p/googlemock/source/browse/trunk/scripts/generator/README).

## Where to Put It ##
When you define a mock class, you need to decide where to put its definition. Some people put it in a `*_test.cc`. This is fine when the interface being mocked (say, `Foo`) is owned by the same person or team. Otherwise, when the owner of `Foo` changes it, your test could break. (You can't really expect `Foo`'s maintainer to fix every test that uses `Foo`, can you?)

So, the rule of thumb is: if you need to mock `Foo` and it's owned by others, define the mock class in `Foo`'s package (better, in a `testing` sub-package such that you can clearly separate production code and testing utilities), and put it in a `mock_foo.h`. Then everyone can reference `mock_foo.h` from their tests. If `Foo` ever changes, there is only one copy of `MockFoo` to change, and only tests that depend on the changed methods need to be fixed.

Another way to do it: you can introduce a thin layer `FooAdaptor` on top of `Foo` and code to this new interface. Since you own `FooAdaptor`, you can absorb changes in `Foo` much more easily. While this is more work initially, carefully choosing the adaptor interface can make your code easier to write and more readable (a net win in the long run), as you can choose `FooAdaptor` to fit your specific domain much better than `Foo` does.

# Using Mocks in Tests #
Once you have a mock class, using it is easy. The typical work flow is:

  1. Import the Google Mock names from the `testing` namespace such that you can use them unqualified (You only have to do it once per file. Remember that namespaces are a good idea and good for your health.).
  1. Create some mock objects.
  1. Specify your expectations on them (How many times will a method be called? With what arguments? What should it do? etc.).
  1. Exercise some code that uses the mocks; optionally, check the result using Google Test assertions. If a mock method is called more than expected or with wrong arguments, you'll get an error immediately.
  1. When a mock is destructed, Google Mock will automatically check whether all expectations on it have been satisfied.

Here's an example:

```
#include "path/to/mock-turtle.h"
#include "gmock/gmock.h"
#include "gtest/gtest.h"
using ::testing::AtLeast;                     // #1

TEST(PainterTest, CanDrawSomething) {
  MockTurtle turtle;                          // #2
  EXPECT_CALL(turtle, PenDown())              // #3
      .Times(AtLeast(1));

  Painter painter(&turtle);                   // #4

  EXPECT_TRUE(painter.DrawCircle(0, 0, 10));
}                                             // #5

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
  // The following line must be executed to initialize Google Mock
  // (and Google Test) before running the tests.
  ::testing::InitGoogleMock(&argc, argv);
  return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
}
```

As you might have guessed, this test checks that `PenDown()` is called at least once. If the `painter` object didn't call this method, your test will fail with a message like this:

```
path/to/my_test.cc:119: Failure
Actual function call count doesn't match this expectation:
Actually: never called;
Expected: called at least once.
```

**Tip 1:** If you run the test from an Emacs buffer, you can hit `<Enter>` on the line number displayed in the error message to jump right to the failed expectation.

**Tip 2:** If your mock objects are never deleted, the final verification won't happen. Therefore it's a good idea to use a heap leak checker in your tests when you allocate mocks on the heap.

**Important note:** Google Mock requires expectations to be set **before** the mock functions are called, otherwise the behavior is **undefined**. In particular, you mustn't interleave `EXPECT_CALL()`s and calls to the mock functions.

This means `EXPECT_CALL()` should be read as expecting that a call will occur _in the future_, not that a call has occurred. Why does Google Mock work like that? Well, specifying the expectation beforehand allows Google Mock to report a violation as soon as it arises, when the context (stack trace, etc) is still available. This makes debugging much easier.

Admittedly, this test is contrived and doesn't do much. You can easily achieve the same effect without using Google Mock. However, as we shall reveal soon, Google Mock allows you to do _much more_ with the mocks.

## Using Google Mock with Any Testing Framework ##
If you want to use something other than Google Test (e.g. [CppUnit](http://apps.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/cppunit/index.php?title=Main_Page) or
[CxxTest](http://cxxtest.tigris.org/)) as your testing framework, just change the `main()` function in the previous section to:
```
int main(int argc, char** argv) {
  // The following line causes Google Mock to throw an exception on failure,
  // which will be interpreted by your testing framework as a test failure.
  ::testing::GTEST_FLAG(throw_on_failure) = true;
  ::testing::InitGoogleMock(&argc, argv);
  ... whatever your testing framework requires ...
}
```

This approach has a catch: it makes Google Mock throw an exception
from a mock object's destructor sometimes.  With some compilers, this
sometimes causes the test program to crash.  You'll still be able to
notice that the test has failed, but it's not a graceful failure.

A better solution is to use Google Test's
[event listener API](http://code.google.com/p/googletest/wiki/AdvancedGuide#Extending_Google_Test_by_Handling_Test_Events)
to report a test failure to your testing framework properly.  You'll need to
implement the `OnTestPartResult()` method of the event listener interface, but it
should be straightforward.

If this turns out to be too much work, we suggest that you stick with
Google Test, which works with Google Mock seamlessly (in fact, it is
technically part of Google Mock.).  If there is a reason that you
cannot use Google Test, please let us know.

# Setting Expectations #
The key to using a mock object successfully is to set the _right expectations_ on it. If you set the expectations too strict, your test will fail as the result of unrelated changes. If you set them too loose, bugs can slip through. You want to do it just right such that your test can catch exactly the kind of bugs you intend it to catch. Google Mock provides the necessary means for you to do it "just right."

## General Syntax ##
In Google Mock we use the `EXPECT_CALL()` macro to set an expectation on a mock method. The general syntax is:

```
EXPECT_CALL(mock_object, method(matchers))
    .Times(cardinality)
    .WillOnce(action)
    .WillRepeatedly(action);
```

The macro has two arguments: first the mock object, and then the method and its arguments. Note that the two are separated by a comma (`,`), not a period (`.`). (Why using a comma? The answer is that it was necessary for technical reasons.)

The macro can be followed by some optional _clauses_ that provide more information about the expectation. We'll discuss how each clause works in the coming sections.

This syntax is designed to make an expectation read like English. For example, you can probably guess that

```
using ::testing::Return;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
    .Times(5)
    .WillOnce(Return(100))
    .WillOnce(Return(150))
    .WillRepeatedly(Return(200));
```

says that the `turtle` object's `GetX()` method will be called five times, it will return 100 the first time, 150 the second time, and then 200 every time. Some people like to call this style of syntax a Domain-Specific Language (DSL).

**Note:** Why do we use a macro to do this? It serves two purposes: first it makes expectations easily identifiable (either by `grep` or by a human reader), and second it allows Google Mock to include the source file location of a failed expectation in messages, making debugging easier.

## Matchers: What Arguments Do We Expect? ##
When a mock function takes arguments, we must specify what arguments we are expecting; for example:

```
// Expects the turtle to move forward by 100 units.
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(100));
```

Sometimes you may not want to be too specific (Remember that talk about tests being too rigid? Over specification leads to brittle tests and obscures the intent of tests. Therefore we encourage you to specify only what's necessary - no more, no less.). If you care to check that `Forward()` will be called but aren't interested in its actual argument, write `_` as the argument, which means "anything goes":

```
using ::testing::_;
...
// Expects the turtle to move forward.
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(_));
```

`_` is an instance of what we call **matchers**. A matcher is like a predicate and can test whether an argument is what we'd expect. You can use a matcher inside `EXPECT_CALL()` wherever a function argument is expected.

A list of built-in matchers can be found in the [CheatSheet](V1_7_CheatSheet.md). For example, here's the `Ge` (greater than or equal) matcher:

```
using ::testing::Ge;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(Ge(100)));
```

This checks that the turtle will be told to go forward by at least 100 units.

## Cardinalities: How Many Times Will It Be Called? ##
The first clause we can specify following an `EXPECT_CALL()` is `Times()`. We call its argument a **cardinality** as it tells _how many times_ the call should occur. It allows us to repeat an expectation many times without actually writing it as many times. More importantly, a cardinality can be "fuzzy", just like a matcher can be. This allows a user to express the intent of a test exactly.

An interesting special case is when we say `Times(0)`. You may have guessed - it means that the function shouldn't be called with the given arguments at all, and Google Mock will report a Google Test failure whenever the function is (wrongfully) called.

We've seen `AtLeast(n)` as an example of fuzzy cardinalities earlier. For the list of built-in cardinalities you can use, see the [CheatSheet](V1_7_CheatSheet.md).

The `Times()` clause can be omitted. **If you omit `Times()`, Google Mock will infer the cardinality for you.** The rules are easy to remember:

  * If **neither** `WillOnce()` **nor** `WillRepeatedly()` is in the `EXPECT_CALL()`, the inferred cardinality is `Times(1)`.
  * If there are `n WillOnce()`'s but **no** `WillRepeatedly()`, where `n` >= 1, the cardinality is `Times(n)`.
  * If there are `n WillOnce()`'s and **one** `WillRepeatedly()`, where `n` >= 0, the cardinality is `Times(AtLeast(n))`.

**Quick quiz:** what do you think will happen if a function is expected to be called twice but actually called four times?

## Actions: What Should It Do? ##
Remember that a mock object doesn't really have a working implementation? We as users have to tell it what to do when a method is invoked. This is easy in Google Mock.

First, if the return type of a mock function is a built-in type or a pointer, the function has a **default action** (a `void` function will just return, a `bool` function will return `false`, and other functions will return 0). If you don't say anything, this behavior will be used.

Second, if a mock function doesn't have a default action, or the default action doesn't suit you, you can specify the action to be taken each time the expectation matches using a series of `WillOnce()` clauses followed by an optional `WillRepeatedly()`. For example,

```
using ::testing::Return;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
    .WillOnce(Return(100))
    .WillOnce(Return(200))
    .WillOnce(Return(300));
```

This says that `turtle.GetX()` will be called _exactly three times_ (Google Mock inferred this from how many `WillOnce()` clauses we've written, since we didn't explicitly write `Times()`), and will return 100, 200, and 300 respectively.

```
using ::testing::Return;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetY())
    .WillOnce(Return(100))
    .WillOnce(Return(200))
    .WillRepeatedly(Return(300));
```

says that `turtle.GetY()` will be called _at least twice_ (Google Mock knows this as we've written two `WillOnce()` clauses and a `WillRepeatedly()` while having no explicit `Times()`), will return 100 the first time, 200 the second time, and 300 from the third time on.

Of course, if you explicitly write a `Times()`, Google Mock will not try to infer the cardinality itself. What if the number you specified is larger than there are `WillOnce()` clauses? Well, after all `WillOnce()`s are used up, Google Mock will do the _default_ action for the function every time (unless, of course, you have a `WillRepeatedly()`.).

What can we do inside `WillOnce()` besides `Return()`? You can return a reference using `ReturnRef(variable)`, or invoke a pre-defined function, among [others](http://code.google.com/p/googlemock/wiki/V1_7_CheatSheet#Actions).

**Important note:** The `EXPECT_CALL()` statement evaluates the action clause only once, even though the action may be performed many times. Therefore you must be careful about side effects. The following may not do what you want:

```
int n = 100;
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
.Times(4)
.WillRepeatedly(Return(n++));
```

Instead of returning 100, 101, 102, ..., consecutively, this mock function will always return 100 as `n++` is only evaluated once. Similarly, `Return(new Foo)` will create a new `Foo` object when the `EXPECT_CALL()` is executed, and will return the same pointer every time. If you want the side effect to happen every time, you need to define a custom action, which we'll teach in the [CookBook](V1_7_CookBook.md).

Time for another quiz! What do you think the following means?

```
using ::testing::Return;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetY())
.Times(4)
.WillOnce(Return(100));
```

Obviously `turtle.GetY()` is expected to be called four times. But if you think it will return 100 every time, think twice! Remember that one `WillOnce()` clause will be consumed each time the function is invoked and the default action will be taken afterwards. So the right answer is that `turtle.GetY()` will return 100 the first time, but **return 0 from the second time on**, as returning 0 is the default action for `int` functions.

## Using Multiple Expectations ##
So far we've only shown examples where you have a single expectation. More realistically, you're going to specify expectations on multiple mock methods, which may be from multiple mock objects.

By default, when a mock method is invoked, Google Mock will search the expectations in the **reverse order** they are defined, and stop when an active expectation that matches the arguments is found (you can think of it as "newer rules override older ones."). If the matching expectation cannot take any more calls, you will get an upper-bound-violated failure. Here's an example:

```
using ::testing::_;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(_));  // #1
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(10))  // #2
    .Times(2);
```

If `Forward(10)` is called three times in a row, the third time it will be an error, as the last matching expectation (#2) has been saturated. If, however, the third `Forward(10)` call is replaced by `Forward(20)`, then it would be OK, as now #1 will be the matching expectation.

**Side note:** Why does Google Mock search for a match in the _reverse_ order of the expectations? The reason is that this allows a user to set up the default expectations in a mock object's constructor or the test fixture's set-up phase and then customize the mock by writing more specific expectations in the test body. So, if you have two expectations on the same method, you want to put the one with more specific matchers **after** the other, or the more specific rule would be shadowed by the more general one that comes after it.

## Ordered vs Unordered Calls ##
By default, an expectation can match a call even though an earlier expectation hasn't been satisfied. In other words, the calls don't have to occur in the order the expectations are specified.

Sometimes, you may want all the expected calls to occur in a strict order. To say this in Google Mock is easy:

```
using ::testing::InSequence;...
TEST(FooTest, DrawsLineSegment) {
  ...
  {
    InSequence dummy;

    EXPECT_CALL(turtle, PenDown());
    EXPECT_CALL(turtle, Forward(100));
    EXPECT_CALL(turtle, PenUp());
  }
  Foo();
}
```

By creating an object of type `InSequence`, all expectations in its scope are put into a _sequence_ and have to occur _sequentially_. Since we are just relying on the constructor and destructor of this object to do the actual work, its name is really irrelevant.

In this example, we test that `Foo()` calls the three expected functions in the order as written. If a call is made out-of-order, it will be an error.

(What if you care about the relative order of some of the calls, but not all of them? Can you specify an arbitrary partial order? The answer is ... yes! If you are impatient, the details can be found in the [CookBook](V1_7_CookBook#Expecting_Partially_Ordered_Calls.md).)

## All Expectations Are Sticky (Unless Said Otherwise) ##
Now let's do a quick quiz to see how well you can use this mock stuff already. How would you test that the turtle is asked to go to the origin _exactly twice_ (you want to ignore any other instructions it receives)?

After you've come up with your answer, take a look at ours and compare notes (solve it yourself first - don't cheat!):

```
using ::testing::_;...
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GoTo(_, _))  // #1
    .Times(AnyNumber());
EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GoTo(0, 0))  // #2
    .Times(2);
```

Suppose `turtle.GoTo(0, 0)` is called three times. In the third time, Google Mock will see that the arguments match expectation #2 (remember that we always pick the last matching expectation). Now, since we said that there should be only two such calls, Google Mock will report an error immediately. This is basically what we've told you in the "Using Multiple Expectations" section above.

This example shows that **expectations in Google Mock are "sticky" by default**, in the sense that they remain active even after we have reached their invocation upper bounds. This is an important rule to remember, as it affects the meaning of the spec, and is **different** to how it's done in many other mocking frameworks (Why'd we do that? Because we think our rule makes the common cases easier to express and understand.).

Simple? Let's see if you've really understood it: what does the following code say?

```
using ::testing::Return;
...
for (int i = n; i > 0; i--) {
  EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
      .WillOnce(Return(10*i));
}
```

If you think it says that `turtle.GetX()` will be called `n` times and will return 10, 20, 30, ..., consecutively, think twice! The problem is that, as we said, expectations are sticky. So, the second time `turtle.GetX()` is called, the last (latest) `EXPECT_CALL()` statement will match, and will immediately lead to an "upper bound exceeded" error - this piece of code is not very useful!

One correct way of saying that `turtle.GetX()` will return 10, 20, 30, ..., is to explicitly say that the expectations are _not_ sticky. In other words, they should _retire_ as soon as they are saturated:

```
using ::testing::Return;
...
for (int i = n; i > 0; i--) {
  EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
    .WillOnce(Return(10*i))
    .RetiresOnSaturation();
}
```

And, there's a better way to do it: in this case, we expect the calls to occur in a specific order, and we line up the actions to match the order. Since the order is important here, we should make it explicit using a sequence:

```
using ::testing::InSequence;
using ::testing::Return;
...
{
  InSequence s;

  for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
    EXPECT_CALL(turtle, GetX())
        .WillOnce(Return(10*i))
        .RetiresOnSaturation();
  }
}
```

By the way, the other situation where an expectation may _not_ be sticky is when it's in a sequence - as soon as another expectation that comes after it in the sequence has been used, it automatically retires (and will never be used to match any call).

## Uninteresting Calls ##
A mock object may have many methods, and not all of them are that interesting. For example, in some tests we may not care about how many times `GetX()` and `GetY()` get called.

In Google Mock, if you are not interested in a method, just don't say anything about it. If a call to this method occurs, you'll see a warning in the test output, but it won't be a failure.

# What Now? #
Congratulations! You've learned enough about Google Mock to start using it. Now, you might want to join the [googlemock](http://groups.google.com/group/googlemock) discussion group and actually write some tests using Google Mock - it will be fun. Hey, it may even be addictive - you've been warned.

Then, if you feel like increasing your mock quotient, you should move on to the [CookBook](V1_7_CookBook.md). You can learn many advanced features of Google Mock there -- and advance your level of enjoyment and testing bliss.
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You can find recipes for using Google Mock here. If you haven't yet,
please read the [ForDummies](V1_5_ForDummies.md) document first to make sure you understand
the basics.

**Note:** Google Mock lives in the `testing` name space. For
readability, it is recommended to write `using ::testing::Foo;` once in
your file before using the name `Foo` defined by Google Mock. We omit
such `using` statements in this page for brevity, but you should do it
in your own code.

# Creating Mock Classes #

## Mocking Private or Protected Methods ##

You must always put a mock method definition (`MOCK_METHOD*`) in a
`public:` section of the mock class, regardless of the method being
mocked being `public`, `protected`, or `private` in the base class.
This allows `ON_CALL` and `EXPECT_CALL` to reference the mock function
from outside of the mock class.  (Yes, C++ allows a subclass to change
the access level of a virtual function in the base class.)  Example:

```
class Foo {
 public:
  ...
  virtual bool Transform(Gadget* g) = 0;

 protected:
  virtual void Resume();

 private:
  virtual int GetTimeOut();
};

class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  ...
  MOCK_METHOD1(Transform, bool(Gadget* g));

  // The following must be in the public section, even though the
  // methods are protected or private in the base class.
  MOCK_METHOD0(Resume, void());
  MOCK_METHOD0(GetTimeOut, int());
};
```

## Mocking Overloaded Methods ##

You can mock overloaded functions as usual. No special attention is required:

```
class Foo {
  ...

  // Must be virtual as we'll inherit from Foo.
  virtual ~Foo();

  // Overloaded on the types and/or numbers of arguments.
  virtual int Add(Element x);
  virtual int Add(int times, Element x);

  // Overloaded on the const-ness of this object.
  virtual Bar& GetBar();
  virtual const Bar& GetBar() const;
};

class MockFoo : public Foo {
  ...
  MOCK_METHOD1(Add, int(Element x));
  MOCK_METHOD2(Add, int(int times, Element x);

  MOCK_METHOD0(GetBar, Bar&());
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(GetBar, const Bar&());
};
```

**Note:** if you don't mock all versions of the overloaded method, the
compiler will give you a warning about some methods in the base class
being hidden. To fix that, use `using` to bring them in scope:

```
class MockFoo : public Foo {
  ...
  using Foo::Add;
  MOCK_METHOD1(Add, int(Element x));
  // We don't want to mock int Add(int times, Element x);
  ...
};
```

## Mocking Class Templates ##

To mock a class template, append `_T` to the `MOCK_*` macros:

```
template <typename Elem>
class StackInterface {
  ...
  // Must be virtual as we'll inherit from StackInterface.
  virtual ~StackInterface();

  virtual int GetSize() const = 0;
  virtual void Push(const Elem& x) = 0;
};

template <typename Elem>
class MockStack : public StackInterface<Elem> {
  ...
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0_T(GetSize, int());
  MOCK_METHOD1_T(Push, void(const Elem& x));
};
```

## Mocking Nonvirtual Methods ##

Google Mock can mock non-virtual functions to be used in what we call _hi-perf
dependency injection_.

In this case, instead of sharing a common base class with the real
class, your mock class will be _unrelated_ to the real class, but
contain methods with the same signatures.  The syntax for mocking
non-virtual methods is the _same_ as mocking virtual methods:

```
// A simple packet stream class.  None of its members is virtual.
class ConcretePacketStream {
 public:
  void AppendPacket(Packet* new_packet);
  const Packet* GetPacket(size_t packet_number) const;
  size_t NumberOfPackets() const;
  ...
};

// A mock packet stream class.  It inherits from no other, but defines
// GetPacket() and NumberOfPackets().
class MockPacketStream {
 public:
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD1(GetPacket, const Packet*(size_t packet_number));
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(NumberOfPackets, size_t());
  ...
};
```

Note that the mock class doesn't define `AppendPacket()`, unlike the
real class. That's fine as long as the test doesn't need to call it.

Next, you need a way to say that you want to use
`ConcretePacketStream` in production code, and use `MockPacketStream`
in tests.  Since the functions are not virtual and the two classes are
unrelated, you must specify your choice at _compile time_ (as opposed
to run time).

One way to do it is to templatize your code that needs to use a packet
stream.  More specifically, you will give your code a template type
argument for the type of the packet stream.  In production, you will
instantiate your template with `ConcretePacketStream` as the type
argument.  In tests, you will instantiate the same template with
`MockPacketStream`.  For example, you may write:

```
template <class PacketStream>
void CreateConnection(PacketStream* stream) { ... }

template <class PacketStream>
class PacketReader {
 public:
  void ReadPackets(PacketStream* stream, size_t packet_num);
};
```

Then you can use `CreateConnection<ConcretePacketStream>()` and
`PacketReader<ConcretePacketStream>` in production code, and use
`CreateConnection<MockPacketStream>()` and
`PacketReader<MockPacketStream>` in tests.

```
  MockPacketStream mock_stream;
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_stream, ...)...;
  .. set more expectations on mock_stream ...
  PacketReader<MockPacketStream> reader(&mock_stream);
  ... exercise reader ...
```

## Mocking Free Functions ##

It's possible to use Google Mock to mock a free function (i.e. a
C-style function or a static method).  You just need to rewrite your
code to use an interface (abstract class).

Instead of calling a free function (say, `OpenFile`) directly,
introduce an interface for it and have a concrete subclass that calls
the free function:

```
class FileInterface {
 public:
  ...
  virtual bool Open(const char* path, const char* mode) = 0;
};

class File : public FileInterface {
 public:
  ...
  virtual bool Open(const char* path, const char* mode) {
    return OpenFile(path, mode);
  }
};
```

Your code should talk to `FileInterface` to open a file.  Now it's
easy to mock out the function.

This may seem much hassle, but in practice you often have multiple
related functions that you can put in the same interface, so the
per-function syntactic overhead will be much lower.

If you are concerned about the performance overhead incurred by
virtual functions, and profiling confirms your concern, you can
combine this with the recipe for [mocking non-virtual methods](#Mocking_Nonvirtual_Methods.md).

## Nice Mocks and Strict Mocks ##

If a mock method has no `EXPECT_CALL` spec but is called, Google Mock
will print a warning about the "uninteresting call". The rationale is:

  * New methods may be added to an interface after a test is written. We shouldn't fail a test just because a method it doesn't know about is called.
  * However, this may also mean there's a bug in the test, so Google Mock shouldn't be silent either. If the user believes these calls are harmless, he can add an `EXPECT_CALL()` to suppress the warning.

However, sometimes you may want to suppress all "uninteresting call"
warnings, while sometimes you may want the opposite, i.e. to treat all
of them as errors. Google Mock lets you make the decision on a
per-mock-object basis.

Suppose your test uses a mock class `MockFoo`:

```
TEST(...) {
  MockFoo mock_foo;
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_foo, DoThis());
  ... code that uses mock_foo ...
}
```

If a method of `mock_foo` other than `DoThis()` is called, it will be
reported by Google Mock as a warning. However, if you rewrite your
test to use `NiceMock<MockFoo>` instead, the warning will be gone,
resulting in a cleaner test output:

```
using ::testing::NiceMock;

TEST(...) {
  NiceMock<MockFoo> mock_foo;
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_foo, DoThis());
  ... code that uses mock_foo ...
}
```

`NiceMock<MockFoo>` is a subclass of `MockFoo`, so it can be used
wherever `MockFoo` is accepted.

It also works if `MockFoo`'s constructor takes some arguments, as
`NiceMock<MockFoo>` "inherits" `MockFoo`'s constructors:

```
using ::testing::NiceMock;

TEST(...) {
  NiceMock<MockFoo> mock_foo(5, "hi");  // Calls MockFoo(5, "hi").
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_foo, DoThis());
  ... code that uses mock_foo ...
}
```

The usage of `StrictMock` is similar, except that it makes all
uninteresting calls failures:

```
using ::testing::StrictMock;

TEST(...) {
  StrictMock<MockFoo> mock_foo;
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_foo, DoThis());
  ... code that uses mock_foo ...

  // The test will fail if a method of mock_foo other than DoThis()
  // is called.
}
```

There are some caveats though (I don't like them just as much as the
next guy, but sadly they are side effects of C++'s limitations):

  1. `NiceMock<MockFoo>` and `StrictMock<MockFoo>` only work for mock methods defined using the `MOCK_METHOD*` family of macros **directly** in the `MockFoo` class. If a mock method is defined in a **base class** of `MockFoo`, the "nice" or "strict" modifier may not affect it, depending on the compiler. In particular, nesting `NiceMock` and `StrictMock` (e.g. `NiceMock<StrictMock<MockFoo> >`) is **not** supported.
  1. The constructors of the base mock (`MockFoo`) cannot have arguments passed by non-const reference, which happens to be banned by the [Google C++ style guide](http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/cppguide.xml).
  1. During the constructor or destructor of `MockFoo`, the mock object is _not_ nice or strict.  This may cause surprises if the constructor or destructor calls a mock method on `this` object. (This behavior, however, is consistent with C++'s general rule: if a constructor or destructor calls a virtual method of `this` object, that method is treated as non-virtual.  In other words, to the base class's constructor or destructor, `this` object behaves like an instance of the base class, not the derived class.  This rule is required for safety.  Otherwise a base constructor may use members of a derived class before they are initialized, or a base destructor may use members of a derived class after they have been destroyed.)

Finally, you should be **very cautious** when using this feature, as the
decision you make applies to **all** future changes to the mock
class. If an important change is made in the interface you are mocking
(and thus in the mock class), it could break your tests (if you use
`StrictMock`) or let bugs pass through without a warning (if you use
`NiceMock`). Therefore, try to specify the mock's behavior using
explicit `EXPECT_CALL` first, and only turn to `NiceMock` or
`StrictMock` as the last resort.

## Simplifying the Interface without Breaking Existing Code ##

Sometimes a method has a long list of arguments that is mostly
uninteresting. For example,

```
class LogSink {
 public:
  ...
  virtual void send(LogSeverity severity, const char* full_filename,
                    const char* base_filename, int line,
                    const struct tm* tm_time,
                    const char* message, size_t message_len) = 0;
};
```

This method's argument list is lengthy and hard to work with (let's
say that the `message` argument is not even 0-terminated). If we mock
it as is, using the mock will be awkward. If, however, we try to
simplify this interface, we'll need to fix all clients depending on
it, which is often infeasible.

The trick is to re-dispatch the method in the mock class:

```
class ScopedMockLog : public LogSink {
 public:
  ...
  virtual void send(LogSeverity severity, const char* full_filename,
                    const char* base_filename, int line, const tm* tm_time,
                    const char* message, size_t message_len) {
    // We are only interested in the log severity, full file name, and
    // log message.
    Log(severity, full_filename, std::string(message, message_len));
  }

  // Implements the mock method:
  //
  //   void Log(LogSeverity severity,
  //            const string& file_path,
  //            const string& message);
  MOCK_METHOD3(Log, void(LogSeverity severity, const string& file_path,
                         const string& message));
};
```

By defining a new mock method with a trimmed argument list, we make
the mock class much more user-friendly.

## Alternative to Mocking Concrete Classes ##

Often you may find yourself using classes that don't implement
interfaces. In order to test your code that uses such a class (let's
call it `Concrete`), you may be tempted to make the methods of
`Concrete` virtual and then mock it.

Try not to do that.

Making a non-virtual function virtual is a big decision. It creates an
extension point where subclasses can tweak your class' behavior. This
weakens your control on the class because now it's harder to maintain
the class' invariants. You should make a function virtual only when
there is a valid reason for a subclass to override it.

Mocking concrete classes directly is problematic as it creates a tight
coupling between the class and the tests - any small change in the
class may invalidate your tests and make test maintenance a pain.

To avoid such problems, many programmers have been practicing "coding
to interfaces": instead of talking to the `Concrete` class, your code
would define an interface and talk to it. Then you implement that
interface as an adaptor on top of `Concrete`. In tests, you can easily
mock that interface to observe how your code is doing.

This technique incurs some overhead:

  * You pay the cost of virtual function calls (usually not a problem).
  * There is more abstraction for the programmers to learn.

However, it can also bring significant benefits in addition to better
testability:

  * `Concrete`'s API may not fit your problem domain very well, as you may not be the only client it tries to serve. By designing your own interface, you have a chance to tailor it to your need - you may add higher-level functionalities, rename stuff, etc instead of just trimming the class. This allows you to write your code (user of the interface) in a more natural way, which means it will be more readable, more maintainable, and you'll be more productive.
  * If `Concrete`'s implementation ever has to change, you don't have to rewrite everywhere it is used. Instead, you can absorb the change in your implementation of the interface, and your other code and tests will be insulated from this change.

Some people worry that if everyone is practicing this technique, they
will end up writing lots of redundant code. This concern is totally
understandable. However, there are two reasons why it may not be the
case:

  * Different projects may need to use `Concrete` in different ways, so the best interfaces for them will be different. Therefore, each of them will have its own domain-specific interface on top of `Concrete`, and they will not be the same code.
  * If enough projects want to use the same interface, they can always share it, just like they have been sharing `Concrete`. You can check in the interface and the adaptor somewhere near `Concrete` (perhaps in a `contrib` sub-directory) and let many projects use it.

You need to weigh the pros and cons carefully for your particular
problem, but I'd like to assure you that the Java community has been
practicing this for a long time and it's a proven effective technique
applicable in a wide variety of situations. :-)

## Delegating Calls to a Fake ##

Some times you have a non-trivial fake implementation of an
interface. For example:

```
class Foo {
 public:
  virtual ~Foo() {}
  virtual char DoThis(int n) = 0;
  virtual void DoThat(const char* s, int* p) = 0;
};

class FakeFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  virtual char DoThis(int n) {
    return (n > 0) ? '+' :
        (n < 0) ? '-' : '0';
  }

  virtual void DoThat(const char* s, int* p) {
    *p = strlen(s);
  }
};
```

Now you want to mock this interface such that you can set expectations
on it. However, you also want to use `FakeFoo` for the default
behavior, as duplicating it in the mock object is, well, a lot of
work.

When you define the mock class using Google Mock, you can have it
delegate its default action to a fake class you already have, using
this pattern:

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::Invoke;

class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  // Normal mock method definitions using Google Mock.
  MOCK_METHOD1(DoThis, char(int n));
  MOCK_METHOD2(DoThat, void(const char* s, int* p));

  // Delegates the default actions of the methods to a FakeFoo object.
  // This must be called *before* the custom ON_CALL() statements.
  void DelegateToFake() {
    ON_CALL(*this, DoThis(_))
        .WillByDefault(Invoke(&fake_, &FakeFoo::DoThis));
    ON_CALL(*this, DoThat(_, _))
        .WillByDefault(Invoke(&fake_, &FakeFoo::DoThat));
  }
 private:
  FakeFoo fake_;  // Keeps an instance of the fake in the mock.
};
```

With that, you can use `MockFoo` in your tests as usual. Just remember
that if you don't explicitly set an action in an `ON_CALL()` or
`EXPECT_CALL()`, the fake will be called upon to do it:

```
using ::testing::_;

TEST(AbcTest, Xyz) {
  MockFoo foo;
  foo.DelegateToFake(); // Enables the fake for delegation.

  // Put your ON_CALL(foo, ...)s here, if any.

  // No action specified, meaning to use the default action.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(5));
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThat(_, _));

  int n = 0;
  EXPECT_EQ('+', foo.DoThis(5));  // FakeFoo::DoThis() is invoked.
  foo.DoThat("Hi", &n);           // FakeFoo::DoThat() is invoked.
  EXPECT_EQ(2, n);
}
```

**Some tips:**

  * If you want, you can still override the default action by providing your own `ON_CALL()` or using `.WillOnce()` / `.WillRepeatedly()` in `EXPECT_CALL()`.
  * In `DelegateToFake()`, you only need to delegate the methods whose fake implementation you intend to use.
  * The general technique discussed here works for overloaded methods, but you'll need to tell the compiler which version you mean. To disambiguate a mock function (the one you specify inside the parentheses of `ON_CALL()`), see the "Selecting Between Overloaded Functions" section on this page; to disambiguate a fake function (the one you place inside `Invoke()`), use a `static_cast` to specify the function's type.
  * Having to mix a mock and a fake is often a sign of something gone wrong. Perhaps you haven't got used to the interaction-based way of testing yet. Or perhaps your interface is taking on too many roles and should be split up. Therefore, **don't abuse this**. We would only recommend to do it as an intermediate step when you are refactoring your code.

Regarding the tip on mixing a mock and a fake, here's an example on
why it may be a bad sign: Suppose you have a class `System` for
low-level system operations. In particular, it does file and I/O
operations. And suppose you want to test how your code uses `System`
to do I/O, and you just want the file operations to work normally. If
you mock out the entire `System` class, you'll have to provide a fake
implementation for the file operation part, which suggests that
`System` is taking on too many roles.

Instead, you can define a `FileOps` interface and an `IOOps` interface
and split `System`'s functionalities into the two. Then you can mock
`IOOps` without mocking `FileOps`.

## Delegating Calls to a Real Object ##

When using testing doubles (mocks, fakes, stubs, and etc), sometimes
their behaviors will differ from those of the real objects. This
difference could be either intentional (as in simulating an error such
that you can test the error handling code) or unintentional. If your
mocks have different behaviors than the real objects by mistake, you
could end up with code that passes the tests but fails in production.

You can use the _delegating-to-real_ technique to ensure that your
mock has the same behavior as the real object while retaining the
ability to validate calls. This technique is very similar to the
delegating-to-fake technique, the difference being that we use a real
object instead of a fake. Here's an example:

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::AtLeast;
using ::testing::Invoke;

class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  MockFoo() {
    // By default, all calls are delegated to the real object.
    ON_CALL(*this, DoThis())
        .WillByDefault(Invoke(&real_, &Foo::DoThis));
    ON_CALL(*this, DoThat(_))
        .WillByDefault(Invoke(&real_, &Foo::DoThat));
    ...
  }
  MOCK_METHOD0(DoThis, ...);
  MOCK_METHOD1(DoThat, ...);
  ...
 private:
  Foo real_;
};
...

  MockFoo mock;

  EXPECT_CALL(mock, DoThis())
      .Times(3);
  EXPECT_CALL(mock, DoThat("Hi"))
      .Times(AtLeast(1));
  ... use mock in test ...
```

With this, Google Mock will verify that your code made the right calls
(with the right arguments, in the right order, called the right number
of times, etc), and a real object will answer the calls (so the
behavior will be the same as in production). This gives you the best
of both worlds.

## Delegating Calls to a Parent Class ##

Ideally, you should code to interfaces, whose methods are all pure
virtual. In reality, sometimes you do need to mock a virtual method
that is not pure (i.e, it already has an implementation). For example:

```
class Foo {
 public:
  virtual ~Foo();

  virtual void Pure(int n) = 0;
  virtual int Concrete(const char* str) { ... }
};

class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  // Mocking a pure method.
  MOCK_METHOD1(Pure, void(int n));
  // Mocking a concrete method.  Foo::Concrete() is shadowed.
  MOCK_METHOD1(Concrete, int(const char* str));
};
```

Sometimes you may want to call `Foo::Concrete()` instead of
`MockFoo::Concrete()`. Perhaps you want to do it as part of a stub
action, or perhaps your test doesn't need to mock `Concrete()` at all
(but it would be oh-so painful to have to define a new mock class
whenever you don't need to mock one of its methods).

The trick is to leave a back door in your mock class for accessing the
real methods in the base class:

```
class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  // Mocking a pure method.
  MOCK_METHOD1(Pure, void(int n));
  // Mocking a concrete method.  Foo::Concrete() is shadowed.
  MOCK_METHOD1(Concrete, int(const char* str));

  // Use this to call Concrete() defined in Foo.
  int FooConcrete(const char* str) { return Foo::Concrete(str); }
};
```

Now, you can call `Foo::Concrete()` inside an action by:

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::Invoke;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, Concrete(_))
      .WillOnce(Invoke(&foo, &MockFoo::FooConcrete));
```

or tell the mock object that you don't want to mock `Concrete()`:

```
using ::testing::Invoke;
...
  ON_CALL(foo, Concrete(_))
      .WillByDefault(Invoke(&foo, &MockFoo::FooConcrete));
```

(Why don't we just write `Invoke(&foo, &Foo::Concrete)`? If you do
that, `MockFoo::Concrete()` will be called (and cause an infinite
recursion) since `Foo::Concrete()` is virtual. That's just how C++
works.)

# Using Matchers #

## Matching Argument Values Exactly ##

You can specify exactly which arguments a mock method is expecting:

```
using ::testing::Return;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(5))
      .WillOnce(Return('a'));
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThat("Hello", bar));
```

## Using Simple Matchers ##

You can use matchers to match arguments that have a certain property:

```
using ::testing::Ge;
using ::testing::NotNull;
using ::testing::Return;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(Ge(5)))  // The argument must be >= 5.
      .WillOnce(Return('a'));
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThat("Hello", NotNull()));
  // The second argument must not be NULL.
```

A frequently used matcher is `_`, which matches anything:

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::NotNull;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThat(_, NotNull()));
```

## Combining Matchers ##

You can build complex matchers from existing ones using `AllOf()`,
`AnyOf()`, and `Not()`:

```
using ::testing::AllOf;
using ::testing::Gt;
using ::testing::HasSubstr;
using ::testing::Ne;
using ::testing::Not;
...
  // The argument must be > 5 and != 10.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(AllOf(Gt(5),
                                Ne(10))));

  // The first argument must not contain sub-string "blah".
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThat(Not(HasSubstr("blah")),
                          NULL));
```

## Casting Matchers ##

Google Mock matchers are statically typed, meaning that the compiler
can catch your mistake if you use a matcher of the wrong type (for
example, if you use `Eq(5)` to match a `string` argument). Good for
you!

Sometimes, however, you know what you're doing and want the compiler
to give you some slack. One example is that you have a matcher for
`long` and the argument you want to match is `int`. While the two
types aren't exactly the same, there is nothing really wrong with
using a `Matcher<long>` to match an `int` - after all, we can first
convert the `int` argument to a `long` before giving it to the
matcher.

To support this need, Google Mock gives you the
`SafeMatcherCast<T>(m)` function. It casts a matcher `m` to type
`Matcher<T>`. To ensure safety, Google Mock checks that (let `U` be the
type `m` accepts):

  1. Type `T` can be implicitly cast to type `U`;
  1. When both `T` and `U` are built-in arithmetic types (`bool`, integers, and floating-point numbers), the conversion from `T` to `U` is not lossy (in other words, any value representable by `T` can also be represented by `U`); and
  1. When `U` is a reference, `T` must also be a reference (as the underlying matcher may be interested in the address of the `U` value).

The code won't compile if any of these conditions isn't met.

Here's one example:

```
using ::testing::SafeMatcherCast;

// A base class and a child class.
class Base { ... };
class Derived : public Base { ... };

class MockFoo : public Foo {
 public:
  MOCK_METHOD1(DoThis, void(Derived* derived));
};
...

  MockFoo foo;
  // m is a Matcher<Base*> we got from somewhere.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(SafeMatcherCast<Derived*>(m)));
```

If you find `SafeMatcherCast<T>(m)` too limiting, you can use a similar
function `MatcherCast<T>(m)`. The difference is that `MatcherCast` works
as long as you can `static_cast` type `T` to type `U`.

`MatcherCast` essentially lets you bypass C++'s type system
(`static_cast` isn't always safe as it could throw away information,
for example), so be careful not to misuse/abuse it.

## Selecting Between Overloaded Functions ##

If you expect an overloaded function to be called, the compiler may
need some help on which overloaded version it is.

To disambiguate functions overloaded on the const-ness of this object,
use the `Const()` argument wrapper.

```
using ::testing::ReturnRef;

class MockFoo : public Foo {
  ...
  MOCK_METHOD0(GetBar, Bar&());
  MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(GetBar, const Bar&());
};
...

  MockFoo foo;
  Bar bar1, bar2;
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, GetBar())         // The non-const GetBar().
      .WillOnce(ReturnRef(bar1));
  EXPECT_CALL(Const(foo), GetBar())  // The const GetBar().
      .WillOnce(ReturnRef(bar2));
```

(`Const()` is defined by Google Mock and returns a `const` reference
to its argument.)

To disambiguate overloaded functions with the same number of arguments
but different argument types, you may need to specify the exact type
of a matcher, either by wrapping your matcher in `Matcher<type>()`, or
using a matcher whose type is fixed (`TypedEq<type>`, `An<type>()`,
etc):

```
using ::testing::An;
using ::testing::Lt;
using ::testing::Matcher;
using ::testing::TypedEq;

class MockPrinter : public Printer {
 public:
  MOCK_METHOD1(Print, void(int n));
  MOCK_METHOD1(Print, void(char c));
};

TEST(PrinterTest, Print) {
  MockPrinter printer;

  EXPECT_CALL(printer, Print(An<int>()));            // void Print(int);
  EXPECT_CALL(printer, Print(Matcher<int>(Lt(5))));  // void Print(int);
  EXPECT_CALL(printer, Print(TypedEq<char>('a')));   // void Print(char);

  printer.Print(3);
  printer.Print(6);
  printer.Print('a');
}
```

## Performing Different Actions Based on the Arguments ##

When a mock method is called, the _last_ matching expectation that's
still active will be selected (think "newer overrides older"). So, you
can make a method do different things depending on its argument values
like this:

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::Lt;
using ::testing::Return;
...
  // The default case.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(_))
      .WillRepeatedly(Return('b'));

  // The more specific case.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, DoThis(Lt(5)))
      .WillRepeatedly(Return('a'));
```

Now, if `foo.DoThis()` is called with a value less than 5, `'a'` will
be returned; otherwise `'b'` will be returned.

## Matching Multiple Arguments as a Whole ##

Sometimes it's not enough to match the arguments individually. For
example, we may want to say that the first argument must be less than
the second argument. The `With()` clause allows us to match
all arguments of a mock function as a whole. For example,

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::Lt;
using ::testing::Ne;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, InRange(Ne(0), _))
      .With(Lt());
```

says that the first argument of `InRange()` must not be 0, and must be
less than the second argument.

The expression inside `With()` must be a matcher of type
`Matcher<tr1::tuple<A1, ..., An> >`, where `A1`, ..., `An` are the
types of the function arguments.

You can also write `AllArgs(m)` instead of `m` inside `.With()`. The
two forms are equivalent, but `.With(AllArgs(Lt()))` is more readable
than `.With(Lt())`.

You can use `Args<k1, ..., kn>(m)` to match the `n` selected arguments
against `m`. For example,

```
using ::testing::_;
using ::testing::AllOf;
using ::testing::Args;
using ::testing::Lt;
...
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, Blah(_, _, _))
      .With(AllOf(Args<0, 1>(Lt()), Args<1, 2>(Lt())));
```

says that `Blah()` will be called with arguments `x`, `y`, and `z` where
`x < y < z`.

As a convenience and example, Google Mock provides some matchers for
2-tuples, including the `Lt()` matcher above. See the [CheatSheet](V1_5_CheatSheet.md) for
the complete list.

## Using Matchers as Predicates ##

Have you noticed that a matcher is just a fancy predicate that also
knows how to describe itself? Many existing algorithms take predicates
as arguments (e.g. those defined in STL's `<algorithm>` header), and
it would be a shame if Google Mock matchers are not allowed to
participate.

Luckily, you can use a matcher where a unary predicate functor is
expected by wrapping it inside the `Matches()` function. For example,

```
#include <algorithm>
#include <vector>

std::vector<int> v;
...
// How many elements in v are >= 10?
const int count = count_if(v.begin(), v.end(), Matches(Ge(10)));
```

Since you can build complex matchers from simpler ones easily using
Google Mock, this gives you a way to conveniently construct composite
predicates (doing the same using STL's `<functional>` header is just
painful). For example, here's a predicate that's satisfied by any
number that is >= 0, <= 100, and != 50:

```
Matches(AllOf(Ge(0), Le(100), Ne(50)))
```

## Using Matchers in Google Test Assertions ##

Since matchers are basically predicates that also know how to describe
themselves, there is a way to take advantage of them in
[Google Test](http://code.google.com/p/googletest/) assertions. It's
called `ASSERT_THAT` and `EXPECT_THAT`:

```
  ASSERT_THAT(value, matcher);  // Asserts that value matches matcher.
  EXPECT_THAT(value, matcher);  // The non-fatal version.
```

For example, in a Google Test test you can write:

```
#include <gmock/gmock.h>

using ::testing::AllOf;
using ::testing::Ge;
using ::testing::Le;
using ::testing::MatchesRegex;
using ::testing::StartsWith;
...

  EXPECT_THAT(Foo(), StartsWith("Hello"));
  EXPECT_THAT(Bar(), MatchesRegex("Line \\d+"));
  ASSERT_THAT(Baz(), AllOf(Ge(5), Le(10)));
```

which (as you can probably guess) executes `Foo()`, `Bar()`, and
`Baz()`, and verifies that:

  * `Foo()` returns a string that starts with `"Hello"`.
  * `Bar()` returns a string that matches regular expression `"Line \\d+"`.
  * `Baz()` returns a number in the range [5, 10].

The nice thing about these macros is that _they read like
English_. They generate informative messages too. For example, if the
first `EXPECT_THAT()` above fails, the message will be something like:

```
Value of: Foo()
  Actual: "Hi, world!"
Expected: starts with "Hello"
```

**Credit:** The idea of `(ASSERT|EXPECT)_THAT` was stolen from the
[Hamcrest](http://code.google.com/p/hamcrest/) project, which adds
`assertThat()` to JUnit.

## Using Predicates as Matchers ##

Google Mock provides a built-in set of matchers. In case you find them
lacking, you can use an arbitray unary predicate function or functor
as a matcher - as long as the predicate accepts a value of the type
you want. You do this by wrapping the predicate inside the `Truly()`
function, for example:

```
using ::testing::Truly;

int IsEven(int n) { return (n % 2) == 0 ? 1 : 0; }
...

  // Bar() must be called with an even number.
  EXPECT_CALL(foo, Bar(Truly(IsEven)));
```

Note that the predicate function / functor doesn't have to return
`bool`. It works as long as the return value can be used as the
condition in statement `if (condition) ...`.

## Matching Arguments that Are Not Copyable ##

When you do an `EXPECT_CALL(mock_obj, Foo(bar))`, Google Mock saves
away a copy of `bar`. When `Foo()` is called later, Google Mock
compares the argument to `Foo()` with the saved copy of `bar`. This
way, you don't need to worry about `bar` being modified or destroyed
after the `EXPECT_CALL()` is executed. The same is true when you use
matchers like `Eq(bar)`, `Le(bar)`, and so on.

But what if `bar` cannot be copied (i.e. has no copy constructor)? You
could define your own matcher function and use it with `Truly()`, as
the previous couple of recipes have shown. Or, you may be able to get
away from it if you can guarantee that `bar` won't be changed after
the `EXPECT_CALL()` is executed. Just tell Google Mock that it should
save a reference to `bar`, instead of a copy of it. Here's how:

```
using ::testing::Eq;
using ::testing::ByRef;
using ::testing::Lt;
...
  // Expects that Foo()'s argument == bar.
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_obj, Foo(Eq(ByRef(bar))));

  // Expects that Foo()'s argument < bar.
  EXPECT_CALL(mock_obj, Foo(Lt(ByRef(bar))));
```

Remember: if you do this, don't change `bar` after the
`EXPECT_CALL()`, or the result is undefined.

## Validating a Member of an Object ##

Often a mock function takes a reference to object as an argument. When
matching the argument, you may not want to compare the entire object
against a fixed object, as that may be over-specification. Instead,