Test::Valgrind - Generate suppressions, analyse and test any command with valgrind.
Version 1.19
# From the command-line perl -MTest::Valgrind leaky.pl # From the command-line, snippet style perl -MTest::Valgrind -e 'leaky()' # In a test file use Test::More; eval 'use Test::Valgrind'; plan skip_all => 'Test::Valgrind is required to test your distribution with valgrind' if $@; leaky(); # In all the test files of a directory prove --exec 'perl -Iblib/lib -Iblib/arch -MTest::Valgrind' t/*.t
This module is a front-end to the Test::Valgrind::* API that lets you run Perl code through the memcheck tool of the valgrind memory debugger, to test for memory errors and leaks. If they aren't available yet, it will first generate suppressions for the current perl interpreter and store them in the portable flavour of ~/.perl/Test-Valgrind/suppressions/$VERSION. The actual run will then take place, and tests will be passed or failed according to the result of the analysis.
Test::Valgrind::*
memcheck
valgrind
perl
The complete API is much more versatile than this. By declaring an appropriate Test::Valgrind::Command class, you can run any executable (that is, not only Perl scripts) under valgrind, generate the corresponding suppressions on-the-fly and convert the analysis result to TAP output so that it can be incorporated into your project's testsuite. If you're not interested in producing TAP, you can output the results in whatever format you like (for example HTML pages) by defining your own Test::Valgrind::Action class.
Due to the nature of perl's memory allocator, this module can't track leaks of Perl objects. This includes non-mortalized scalars and memory cycles. However, it can track leaks of chunks of memory allocated in XS extensions with Newx and friends or malloc. As such, it's complementary to the other very good leak detectors listed in the "SEE ALSO" section.
Newx
malloc
analyse
Test::Valgrind->analyse(%options);
Run a valgrind analysis configured by %options :
%options
command => $command
The Test::Valgrind::Command object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Command::PerlScript.
tool => $tool
The Test::Valgrind::Tool object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Tool::memcheck.
action => $action
The Test::Valgrind::Action object (or class name) to use.
Defaults to Test::Valgrind::Action::Test.
file => $file
The file name of the script to analyse.
Ignored if you supply your own custom command, but mandatory otherwise.
command
callers => $number
Specify the maximum stack depth studied when valgrind encounters an error. Raising this number improves granularity.
Ignored if you supply your own custom tool, otherwise defaults to 24 (the maximum allowed by valgrind).
tool
24
diag => $bool
If true, print the output of the test script as diagnostics.
Ignored if you supply your own custom action, otherwise defaults to false.
action
regen_def_supp => $bool
If true, forcefully regenerate the default suppression file.
Defaults to false.
no_def_supp => $bool
If true, do not use the default suppression file.
allow_no_supp => $bool
If true, force running the analysis even if the suppression files do not refer to any perl-related symbol.
extra_supps => \@files
Also use suppressions from @files besides perl's.
@files
Defaults to empty.
import
use Test::Valgrind %options;
In the parent process, "import" calls "analyse" with the arguments it received itself - except that if no file option was supplied, it tries to pick the first caller context that looks like a script. When the analysis ends, it exits with the status returned by the action (for the default TAP-generator action, it's the number of failed tests).
file
In the child process, it just returns so that the calling code is actually run under valgrind, albeit two side-effects :
return
Perl::Destruct::Level is loaded and the destruction level is set to 3.
3
Autoflush on STDOUT is turned on.
STDOUT
$dl_unload
When set to true, all dynamic extensions that were loaded during the analysis will be unloaded at END time by "dl_unload_file" in DynaLoader.
END
Since this obfuscates error stack traces, it's disabled by default.
Perl 5.8 is notorious for leaking like there's no tomorrow, so the suppressions are very likely not to be complete on it. You also have a better chance to get more accurate results if your perl is built with debugging enabled. Using the latest valgrind available will also help.
This module is not really secure. It's definitely not taint safe. That shouldn't be a problem for test files.
What your tests output to STDOUT and STDERR is eaten unless you pass the diag option, in which case it will be reprinted as diagnostics.
STDERR
diag
XML::Twig, File::HomeDir, Env::Sanctify, Perl::Destruct::Level.
All the Test::Valgrind::* API, including Test::Valgrind::Command, Test::Valgrind::Tool, Test::Valgrind::Action and Test::Valgrind::Session.
The valgrind(1) man page.
valgrind(1)
Test::LeakTrace.
Devel::Leak, Devel::LeakTrace, Devel::LeakTrace::Fast.
Vincent Pit, <perl at profvince.com>, http://www.profvince.com.
<perl at profvince.com>
You can contact me by mail or on irc.perl.org (vincent).
irc.perl.org
Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-test-valgrind at rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=Test-Valgrind. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.
bug-test-valgrind at rt.cpan.org
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
perldoc Test::Valgrind
Rafaël Garcia-Suarez, for writing and instructing me about the existence of Perl::Destruct::Level (Elizabeth Mattijsen is a close second).
H.Merijn Brand, for daring to test this thing.
David Cantrell, for providing shell access to one of his smokers where the tests were failing.
The Debian-perl team, for offering all the feedback they could regarding the build issues they met.
All you people that showed interest in this module, which motivated me into completely rewriting it.
Copyright 2008,2009,2010,2011,2013,2015,2016 Vincent Pit, all rights reserved.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
To install Test::Valgrind, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm Test::Valgrind
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install Test::Valgrind
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.