You could use Boost.Test. It has several components. You may select the one that fit best to your habits/needs. Particularly Boost.Test tools includes output_test_stream that allows to match your output vs. pattern file. Check docs for more details.
Gennadiy
It would appear that such tests are required to execute completely inside of a function block.
That not nesseserily true. I am not sure I fully understand you though
Unfortunately, the very nature of a singleton makes this impossible. I need to be able to check the lifetimes of singletons with relation to each other, and with relation to static and global objects.
Your design surely needs to cover function scope either (as any other scope), isn't it?
This means I cannot even use cout to report results, as the standard streams could close up shop before the last of my singletons is destroyed.
You may need to have separate program that specifically test that your library correctly deals with pre/post main processing, but majority of the logic should be testable on any scope.
At the moment I am thinking that I will need to write two test programs... one to test the singletons and generate an output file, and one to verify the contents of the file that was generated. Does anyone see a simpler way?
The second one could easily use Boost.Test. I am afraid thouhg you may have some difficulties integrating this solution with Boost.Build system
Also, I should ask what the policy is on testing classes that use a policy based design. How many different combinations of policies are expected to be tested?
You could use BOOST_TEST_CASE_TEMPLATE facility to test combinations based of mpl type sequences.
-Jason
Gennadiy