How can I run Perl test suite automatically when files change?

Question

Is there a tool that would watch file changes in a directory tree of a Perl application and re-run the test suite every time I save changes to some module? Something akin to masak’s tote.

Answer 1

Have a look at Test::Continuous

Some Test::Continuous links:

• Video presentation with slides from YAPC::Asia 2008
• Run continuous tests on remote host
• Github repo

Answer 2

The old school unix solution would be to write up a Makefile and trigger it regularly through a cron job (as frequently as once a minute), and have it mail you the results if something broke.

Alternatively if you use a revision control system such as svn, you could use a commit hook to kick off a build/test cycle when you commit a file.

One other thing you could do is write a wrapper script around your editor (such that when you close or save a file, the build/test cycle is triggered).