simplify app selection

Author: Fabien Coelho

FlaskTester.py

@@ -532,15 +532,14 @@ def _ft_client(authenticator):
     default_login = os.environ.get("FLASK_TESTER_DEFAULT", None)
     client: Client
 
-    if "FLASK_TESTER_URL" in os.environ:
-
-        app_url = os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_URL"]
-        client = RequestClient(authenticator, app_url, default_login)
-
-    elif "FLASK_TESTER_APP" in os.environ:
+    app_def = os.environ.get("FLASK_TESTER_URL", "app")
+    app_def = os.environ.get("FLASK_TESTER_APP", app_def)
 
+    if app_def.startswith("http://") or app_def.startswith("https://"):
+        client = RequestClient(authenticator, app_def, default_login)
+    else:
         # load app package
-        pkg_name, app = os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_APP"], None
+        pkg_name, app = app_def, None
         app_names = ["app", "application", "create_app", "make_app"]
         if ":" in pkg_name:  # override defaults
             pkg_name, app_name = pkg_name.split(":", 1)
@@ -557,20 +556,17 @@ def _ft_client(authenticator):
             raise FlaskTesterError(f"cannot find Flask app in {pkg_name}")
         client = FlaskClient(authenticator, app.test_client(), default_login)
 
-    else:
-
-        raise FlaskTesterError("no Flask application to test")
-
     return client
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def ft_client(ft_authenticator):
     """Pytest Fixture: ft_client.
 
-    Target environment variable, one **must** be defined:
+    Target environment variable:
 
-    - ``FLASK_TESTER_URL``: application HTTP base URL, eg ``http://localhost:5000``.
-    - ``FLASK_TESTER_APP``: Flask application, eg ``app:create_app``.
+    - ``FLASK_TESTER_APP``: find the Flask application, eg
+      ``app:create_app`` for an internal test, or
+      ``http://localhost:5000`` for an external test.
 
     Other environment variable:
 

README.md

@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@ This can be run against a (local) server:
 export TEST_SEED="some-random-data"              # shared test seed
 flask --app app:app run &                        # start flask app
 pid=$!                                           # keep pid
-export FLASK_TESTER_URL="http://localhost:5000"  # set app local url
+export FLASK_TESTER_APP="http://localhost:5000"  # set app local url
 pytest test.py                                   # run external tests
 kill $pid                                        # stop app with pid
 ```
 
 Or locally with the Flask internal test infrastructure:
 
 ```shell
-export FLASK_TESTER_APP="app:app"                # set app module
+export FLASK_TESTER_APP="app:app"                # set app package
 pytest test.py                                   # run internal tests
 ```
 

docs/documentation.md

@@ -38,18 +38,20 @@ The package provides two fixtures:
   - `setAuth` to add authentication data to a request `kwargs` and `cookies`.  
     This method is called automatically for adding credentials to a request.
 
-- `ft_client` for app testing, which depends on the previous fixture, plus
-  environment variables which allow to find the application, at least one must
-  be defined:
+- `ft_client` for app testing, which depends on the previous fixture, plus the
+  `FLASK_TESTER_APP` environment variables which allow to find the application,
+  which contains either:
 
-  - `FLASK_TESTER_URL` URL of the running application for external tests.
+  - The URL of the running application for external tests.
     The application is expected to be already running when the test is started.
 
-  - `FLASK_TESTER_APP` package (filename without `.py`) to be imported for the application.
+  - The package (filename without `.py`) to be imported for the application.
     - for `pkg:name`, `name` is the application in `pkg`.
     - for `pkg` only, look for app as `app`, `application`, `create_app`, `make_app`.
     - in both cases, `name` is called if callable and not a Flask application.
 
+  If not set, the default is `app`, which is to behave like Flask.
+
   Moreover:
   - `FLASK_TESTER_DEFAULT` default login for authentication, default is _None_.
 

docs/versions.md

@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ Packages are distributed from [PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/FlaskTester/),
 see also the [documentation](https://zx80.github.io/flask-tester/),
 please report any [issues](https://github.com/zx80/flask-tester/issues).
 
-## ? on ?
+## 3.6 on ?
 
+Only use `FLASK_TESTER_APP`, hide `FLASK_TESTER_URL`, which is only kept for
+upward compatibility and is deprecated.
 Improved documentation, including a working `app2`.
 
 ## 3.5 on 2024-03-30

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "FlaskTester"
-version = "3.5"
+version = "3.6"
 authors = [ { name = "Fabien Coelho", email = "[email protected]" } ]
 description = "Pytest fixtures for Flask internal and external authenticated tests"
 readme = "README.md"

tests/Makefile

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ check.external:
 	$(PYTEST) $(PYTOPT) test_app.py
 	kill $$flask_pid
 	# app2
+	export FLASK_TESTER_APP="http://localhost:$(PORT)"
 	flask --app app2 run --port=$(PORT) &
 	flask_pid=$$!
 	sleep $(SLEEP)

tests/test_app.py

@@ -309,7 +309,6 @@ def test_client_fixture():
     # ft_client coverage
     auth = ft._ft_authenticator()
     # check and save env
-    # assert "FLASK_TESTER_URL" not in os.environ
     url = None
     if "FLASK_TESTER_URL" in os.environ:  # pragma: no cover
         url = os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_URL"]
@@ -318,12 +317,8 @@ def test_client_fixture():
     if "FLASK_TESTER_APP" in os.environ:
         app = os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_APP"]
         del os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_APP"]
-    # no url nor app
-    try:
-        init = ft._ft_client(auth)
-        pytest.fail("must fail without environment variables")  # pragma: no cover
-    except ft.FlaskTesterError:
-        assert True, "expected error raised"
+    # no url nor app, defaults to "app"
+    init = ft._ft_client(auth)
     # url
     os.environ["FLASK_TESTER_URL"] = "http://localhost:5000"
     init = ft._ft_client(auth)