# GstValidate Test file

A `.validatetest` file describes a fully contained validate test case. It includes the arguments of the tool supposed to be used to run the test as well as possibly a configuration and a set of action to describe the validate scenario.

# The file format

A validate test file requires a `meta` structure describing the test and configuring it. The `meta` structure should be either the first or the one following the `set-globals` structure. The `set-globals` structures allows you to set global variables for the rest of the `.validatetest` file and is a free form variables setter. For example you can do:

    set-globals, media_dir=$(test_dir)/../../media

## Tool arguments

In the case of `gst-validate` it has to contain an `args` field with `gst-validate` argv arguments like:

    # This is the default tool so it is not mandatory for the `gst-validate` tool
    tool = "gst-validate-$(gst_api_version)",
    args = {
        # pipeline description
        videotestrc num-buffers=2 ! $(videosink),
        # Random extra argument
        --set-media-info $(test-dir)/some.media_info
    }

## Variables

Validate testfile will define some variables to make those files relocable:

- `$(test_dir)`: The directory where the `.validatetest` file is in.

- `$(test_name)`: The name of the test file (without extension).

- `$(test_name_dir)`: The name of the test directory (test_name with folder separator instead of `.`).

- `$(validateflow)`: The validateflow structure name with the default/right values for the `expectations-dir` and `actual-results-dir` fields. See validateflow for more information.

- `$(videosink)`: The GStreamer videosink to use if the test can work with different sinks for the video. It allows the tool to use fakesinks when the user doesn't want to have visual feedback for example.

- `$(audiosink)`: The GStreamer audiosink to use if the test can work with different sinks for the audio. It allows the tool to use fakesinks when the user doesn't want to have audio feedback for example.

## `tested-elements`

To register action types for specific GStreamer plugins and elements this field can be used so GstValidate will ensure that the `class_init` function of that specific element will be called before running the scenario. Such elements should register action types from there.

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