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Author's profile photo James E. McDonough

Getting acquainted with automating ABAP unit testing – Part 5

Fix the production code bug identified by the first unit test

This blog represents part 5 of this 10-part series Getting acquainted with automating ABAP unit testing.

Part 4 – Complete the process of writing the first unit test

To recap from the preceding blog, we added an assertion to our unit test method, and when we executed the unit test it promptly detected a failure after calling production-code subroutine set_alv_field_catalog. Here is the source code as we left it in the previous blog:

program.
*----------------------------------------------------------------------
* Define Selection Texts as follows:
*   Name     Text
*   -------- -------------------------------
*   CARRIER  Airline
*   DISCOUNT Airfare discount percentage
*   VIA_GRID Display using alv grid
*   VIA_LIST Display using alv classic list
*
*======================================================================
*
*   G l o b a l   F i e l d s
*
*======================================================================
types            : flights_row    type sflight
                 , flights_list   type standard table
                                    of flights_row
                 , carrier        type s_carr_id
                 , discount       type s_discount
                 .
constants        : flights_table_name
                                  type tabname   value 'XFLIGHT'
                 .
data             : flights_count  type int4
                 , flights_stack  type flights_list
                 .
*======================================================================
*
*   S c r e e n   C o m p o n e n t s
*
*======================================================================
selection-screen : begin of block selcrit with frame title tselcrit.
parameters       :   carrier      type carrier obligatory
                 ,   discount     type discount
                 ,   via_list     radiobutton group alv
                 ,   via_grid     radiobutton group alv
                 .
selection-screen : end   of block selcrit.
*======================================================================
*
*   C l a s s i c   P r o c e d u r a l   E v e n t s
*
*======================================================================
initialization.
    tselcrit                      = 'Selection criteria' ##NO_TEXT.

at selection-screen.
    if sy-ucomm ne 'ONLI'.
      return.
    endif.
    " Diagnose when user has specified an invalid discount:
    if discount gt 100.
      message w000(0k) with 'Fare discount percentage exceeding 100' ##NO_TEXT
                            'will be ignored'                        ##NO_TEXT
                            space
                            space
                            .
    endif.
    " Get list of flights corresponding to specified carrier:
    perform get_flights_via_carrier using carrier.
    " Diagnose when no flights for this carrier:
    if flights_count le 00.
      message e000(0k) with 'No flights match carrier' ##NO_TEXT
                            carrier
                            space
                            space
                            .
    endif.

start-of-selection.

end-of-selection.
    perform present_report using discount
                                 via_grid.
*======================================================================
*
*   S u b r o u t i n e s
*
*======================================================================
form get_flights_via_carrier using carrier
                                     type carrier.
    clear flights_stack.
    if carrier is not initial.
      try.
        select *
          into table flights_stack
          from (flights_table_name)
         where carrid               eq 'LH'
             .
      catch cx_root ##NO_HANDLER ##CATCH_ALL.
        " Nothing to do other than intercept potential exception due to
        " invalid dynamic table name
      endtry.
    endif.
    describe table flights_stack lines flights_count.
endform.

form present_report using discount
                            type discount
                          via_grid
                            type xflag.
    perform show_flights_count.
    perform show_flights using discount
                               via_grid.
endform.

form show_flights_count.
    " Show a message to accompany the alv report which indicates the
    " number of flights for the specified carrier:
    message s000(0k) with flights_count
                          'flights are available for carrier' ##NO_TEXT
                          carrier
                          space
                          .
endform.

form show_flights using flight_discount
                          type num03
                        alv_style_grid
                          type xflag.
    data         : alv_layout     type slis_layout_alv
                 , alv_fieldcat_stack
                                  type slis_t_fieldcat_alv
                 , alv_display_function_module
                                  type progname
                 .
    " Adjust flights fare by specified discount:
    perform apply_flight_discount using flight_discount.
    " Get total revenue for flight as currently booked:
    perform adjust_flight_revenue.
    " Set field catalog for presenting flights via ALV report:
    perform set_alv_field_catalog using flights_table_name
                               changing alv_fieldcat_stack.
    if alv_fieldcat_stack is initial.
      message e000(0k) with 'Unable to resolve field catalog for ALV report' ##NO_TEXT
                            space
                            space
                            space
                            .
    endif.
    " Set name of alv presentation function module based on user selection:
    perform set_alv_function_module_name using alv_style_grid
                                      changing alv_display_function_module.
    " Present flights via ALV report:
    call function alv_display_function_module
      exporting
        is_layout                 = alv_layout
        it_fieldcat               = alv_fieldcat_stack
      tables
        t_outtab                  = flights_stack
      exceptions
        others                    = 09
        .
    if sy-subrc ne 00.
      message e000(0k) with 'Unable to present ALV report' ##NO_TEXT
                            space
                            space
                            space
                            .
    endif.
endform.

form apply_flight_discount using flight_discount
                                   type discount.
    constants    : percent_100    type int4
                                                 value 110
                 .
    field-symbols: <flights_entry>
                                  type flights_row
                 .
    if flight_discount le 00.
      return.
    endif.
    if flight_discount gt percent_100.
      return.
    endif.
    " Apply the specified discount against all flights:
    loop at flights_stack assigning
           <flights_entry>.
      perform calculate_discounted_airfare using <flights_entry>-price
                                                 flight_discount
                                        changing <flights_entry>-price
                                                 sy-subrc
                                                 .
    endloop.
endform.

form adjust_flight_revenue.
    field-symbols: <flights_entry>
                                  type flights_row
                 .
    " Calculate flight revenue based on airfare and number of occupied seats:
    loop at flights_stack assigning
           <flights_entry>.
      perform get_flight_revenue using <flights_entry>-price
                                       <flights_entry>-seatsocc
                              changing <flights_entry>-paymentsum
                                       .
    endloop.
endform.

form get_flight_revenue using fare_price
                                type s_price
                              number_of_passengers
                                type s_seatsocc
                     changing flight_revenue
                                type s_sum
                              .
    flight_revenue                = fare_price * number_of_passengers.
endform.

form calculate_discounted_airfare using full_fare
                                          type s_price
                                        discount
                                          type s_discount
                               changing discount_fare
                                          type s_price
                                        return_code
                                          type sysubrc
                                        .
    constants    : highest_discount_percentage
                                  type int4      value 110
                 .
    data         : discount_multiplier
                                  type p decimals 3
                 .
    return_code                   = 00.
    if discount gt highest_discount_percentage.
      return_code                 = 01.
      return.
    endif.
    discount_multiplier           = ( 100 - discount ) / 100.
    discount_fare                 = full_fare * discount_multiplier.
endform.

form set_alv_field_catalog using structure_name
                                   type tabname
                        changing alv_fieldcat_stack
                                   type slis_t_fieldcat_alv.
    " Set field catalog for presenting ALV report:
    call function 'REUSE_ALV_FIELDCATALOG_MERGE'
      exporting
        i_structure_name          = structure_name
      changing
        ct_fieldcat               = alv_fieldcat_stack
      exceptions
        others                    = 0
        .
endform.

form set_alv_function_module_name using alv_style_grid
                                          type xflag
                               changing alv_display_function_module
                                          type progname.
    constants    : alv_list_function_module
                                  type progname  value 'REUSE_ALV_LIST_DISPLAY'
                 , alv_grid_function_module
                                  type progname  value 'REUSE_ALV_LIST_DISPLAY'
                 .
    " Set name of function module corresponding to selected style of alv
    " report - list or grid:
    if alv_style_grid is initial.
      alv_display_function_module = alv_list_function_module.
    else.
      alv_display_function_module = alv_grid_function_module.
    endif.
endform.
*======================================================================
*
*   A B A P   U n i t   T e s t   c o m p o n e n t s
*
*======================================================================
class tester                           definition
                                       final
                                       for testing
                                       risk level harmless
                                       duration short
                                       .
  private section.
    methods      : set_alv_field_catalog
                     for testing
                 .
endclass.
class tester                           implementation.
  method set_alv_field_catalog.
    data         : alv_fieldcat_stack
                                  type slis_t_fieldcat_alv
                 .
    " Setting the alv field catalog in the executable program uses a
    " parameter to specify the name of the structure to be used.  If
    " this name is invalid, no field catalog entries will result.  Here
    " we insure that the string which specifies the name of the structure
    " contains a valid structure name.
    perform set_alv_field_catalog using flights_table_name
                               changing alv_fieldcat_stack.
    call method cl_abap_unit_assert=>assert_not_initial
      exporting
        act                       = alv_fieldcat_stack
        msg                       = 'ALV fieldcatalog is empty'
        .
  endmethod.
endclass.

Running existing unit tests

Fire up the ABAP Editor and retrieve or create the program containing the code shown above, then activate it and execute its unit test. The ABAP Unit: Results Display report appears accompanied by the following status message appearing at the bottom of the screen:

Processed: 1 program, 1 test classes, 1 test methods

The report indicates in the analysis section the reason for the failure: a non-initial value was expected by the failing unit test. Clicking on the ‘Include’ line beneath the ‘Stack’ node will take you to the line of unit test code where the failure occurred, which is the call to method assert_not_initial of class cl_abap_unit_assert, a call asserting that the actual value in alv_fieldcat_stack is expected to be not initial.

Identifying and fixing the first of many bugs

The solution to this unit test failure is to spell the name of the table correctly on the statement defining the table name for global field flights_table name. Its constant value should be changed from ‘XFLIGHT’ to ‘SFLIGHT’. Change this now and activate the program.

Running the unit test again

Execute the unit tests again. This time we should still see the following status message appearing at the bottom of the screen:

Processed: 1 program, 1 test classes, 1 test methods

Notice that the ABAP Unit: Results Display report no longer appears – we remain in the ABAP editor when this message is issued. This is evidence that there were no unit testing failures; otherwise we would have been presented with the ABAP Unit: Results Display report.

Executing the program again

Again execute the program and provide Airline ‘AA’. Now the program produces an ALV classic list report containing flights, but, sadly, the rows of flights appearing in the ALV report are not for the airline we had specified.

If after executing the program you find that error message “No flights match carrier AA” continues to appear at the bottom of the screen, then refer back to the first blog in this series, which explains how to insure there are applicable records existing in your persistence repository.

Summary

So, let’s summarize what we have learned here:

  • Changing the production code can cause a previously failing test now to become a passing test.
  • Applying this single table name correction enabled an ALV report to be produced when the program is executed in production mode.

What’s next?

We have discovered another glaring problem with this program – it does not provide the correct set of rows in the ALV report. We will get to that eventually, but before we attend to that problem, let’s consider using an alternative syntax for calling the assertion method in the unit test code. This is covered in part 6 of this 10-part series Getting acquainted with automating ABAP unit testing.

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