Welcome to the tox automation project
===============================================

.. note:: Upcoming: `professional testing with pytest and tox <`http://www.python-academy.com/courses/specialtopics/python_course_testing.html>`_ , 24th-26th June 2013, Leipzig.

vision: standardize testing in Python
---------------------------------------------

``tox`` aims to automate and standardize testing in Python.  It is part
of a larger vision of easing the packaging, testing and release process 
of Python software.

What is Tox?
--------------------

Tox as is a generic virtualenv_ management and test command line tool you can use for:

* checking your package installs correctly with different Python versions and
  interpreters

* running your tests in each of the environments, configuring your test tool of choice

* acting as a frontend to Continuous Integration servers, greatly
  reducing boilerplate and merging CI and shell-based testing.

Basic example
-----------------

First, install ``tox`` with ``pip install tox`` or ``easy_install tox``.
Then put basic information about your project and the test environments you
want your project to run in into a ``tox.ini`` file residing
right next to your ``setup.py`` file::

    # content of: tox.ini , put in same dir as setup.py
    [tox]
    envlist = py26,py27
    [testenv]
    deps=pytest       # install pytest in the venvs
    commands=py.test  # or 'nosetests' or ...

You can also try generating a ``tox.ini`` file automatically, by running
``tox-quickstart`` and then answering a few simple questions.

To sdist-package, install and test your project against Python2.6 and Python2.7, just type::

    tox

and watch things happening (you must have python2.6 and python2.7 installed in your
environment otherwise you will see errors).  When you run ``tox`` a second time
you'll note that it runs much faster because it keeps track of virtualenv details
and will not recreate or re-install dependencies.  You also might want to
checkout :doc:`examples` to get some more ideas.

Current features
-------------------

* **automation of tedious Python related test activities**

* **test your Python package against many interpreter and dependency configs**

    - automatic customizable (re)creation of virtualenv_ test environments

    - installs your ``setup.py`` based project into each virtual environment

    - test-tool agnostic: runs py.test, nose or unittests in a uniform manner

* supports :ref:`using different / multiple PyPI index servers  <multiindex>`

* uses pip_ and distribute_ by default.

* **cross-Python compatible**: Python-2.5 up to Python-3.3, Jython and pypy_
  support.

* **cross-platform**: Windows and Unix style environments

* **integrates with continuous integration servers** like Jenkins_
  (formerly known as Hudson) and helps you to avoid boilerplatish 
  and platform-specific build-step hacks.

* **unified automatic artifact management** between ``tox`` runs both
  in a local developer shell as well as in a CI/Jenkins context.

* **driven by a simple ini-style config file**

* **documented** :doc:`examples <examples>` and :doc:`configuration <config>`

* **concise reporting** about tool invocations and configuration errors

* **professionally** :doc:`supported <support>`

.. _pypy: http://pypy.org

.. _`tox.ini`: :doc:configfile

.. toctree::
   :hidden:

   install
   examples
   config
   config-v2
   support
   changelog
   links
   announce/release-0.5
   announce/release-1.0
   announce/release-1.1
   announce/release-1.2
   announce/release-1.3
   announce/release-1.4
   announce/release-1.4.3


.. include:: links.txt
