Versions and Migrating¶

What changed between releases and how to update existing tests. If you start a new exam, you do not need this page: the other guides describe the current release.

Upgrading to 2026.11.1¶

The changes since 2000.0.0, for test suites written against 2000.0.0 or 2026.11.0. Coming from 1000.x, first apply the 2000.0.0 changes.

What can turn existing tests red¶

• Unexpected modifiers deviate (#35). A modifier of the student's element that is neither expected, optional nor implicit (e.g. private static boolean[] spotlights where private is expected, an extra abstract, final or synchronized) fails the structural test with "unexpected modifier: ...". Mark harmless extras as optional with a ? suffix, e.g. "public", "final?" for a utility class. See Modifiers.
• A wrapper of a static nested class must now expect static.
• To keep the old behaviour, set LevenshteinSettings.setUnexpectedModifiers(UnexpectedModifiers.IGNORE).
• A missing expected static is a deviation instead of MISSING: behavioural tests go on and call the method or read the attribute on the default object.
• Messages of behaviour failures changed (#34). Exceptions of student code (invoke, newObj, ConstructorWrapper.invoke), invokeExpectingException and testGettersSetters report with one block of Method: / Scenario: / Input: / Expected: / Actual: lines (German: Methode:, Szenario:, Eingabe:, Erwartet:, Tatsächlich:). Tests that assert on message texts need updating:
• "Calling method ... threw an exception: ...", "... should throw X, but: ..." and "Getter/setter test for attribute ...: ✅/❌ ..." are gone. An exception thrown by a student constructor is reported in the block, too.
• Arguments: (...) became the Input: line; the text of invokeWithContext is the Scenario: line.
• testGettersSetters shows only the first failing case plus "(n of m cases failed)" instead of one line per subtest. A missing getter or setter fails with the short structural message.
• double/float values are shown with two decimals (2.50, LevenshteinSettings.setDecimals).
• The AssertionError no longer has the student's exception as cause (no stack trace, no Caused by). Read the exception from invokeExpectingException if a test needs it.
• A StackOverflowError of student code is a normal failure with a hint on endless recursion instead of being rethrown.
• The old message constants are kept but @Deprecated.
• No structural tests for empty groups. structuralTestFactory no longer generates tests such as Attributes[X] for a class without attribute wrappers or Constructors[X] for an interface. They always passed, also for an untouched template. If your Artemis exercise gives points for one of them, remove it there, or keep the old tests with structuralTestFactory(level, false, wrappers...).
• Numbers are no longer changed silently. Utils.safeCast, setValue and arguments for a deviating numeric parameter type fail with a readable message if the value does not fit the student's type (e.g. 2.5 → int, 200 → byte). Before, safeCast and setValue truncated or wrapped such values. Arguments are now converted to a deviating numeric parameter type (2.5 → float); before, the call failed.
• A wrong number of arguments for invoke(...), ConstructorWrapper.invoke(...) or getObj(forceNew, constructorWrapper, args...) is an IllegalArgumentException (an error in the test) instead of a failed test. Pass a single array argument as (Object) array.
• Getters and setters compare arrays by content (Objects.deepEquals). To require the same object, set LevenshteinSettings.setGettersSettersRequireSameObject(true).

API changes¶

• A literal null as return type (new MethodWrapper<>(this, "m", null, ...)) is ambiguous now; write (Class<Object>) null.
• A null entry in a parameter type array throws IllegalArgumentException when the wrapper is built.
• With @LevenshteinTest, attribute wrappers are looked up before each test. Configure LevenshteinSettings in a static initializer or @BeforeAll; changes inside a test method come too late for them.

New features¶

• Failure for your own checks, so students see the same format there. See Reporting failures.
• Optional modifiers with a ? suffix, and getMissingModifiers() / getUnexpectedModifiers() on every wrapper.
• StaticStateReset: @LevenshteinTest and @HiddenLevenshteinTest reset attributes that are unexpectedly static before each test, so results do not depend on the order of the tests.
• Inner instead of nested class: an inner class where a static nested class is expected can still be instantiated (the outer instance is created automatically).
• Student classes as member types (#33). AttributeWrapper, MethodWrapper and ConstructorWrapper accept a ClassWrapper (e.g. ClassWrapper.reference("Drummer", pkg)) or a supplier of one as type; parameter lists can be an Object[] that mixes them with Class<?>. Replace helpers like a copied TypeWrapper.resolve(name) with Byte Buddy placeholder classes by these. See Student classes as member types.
• Independent tests (#30): ClassWrapper.newObjWithoutConstructor(), newObjOverriding(...) and mock(). See Independent Tests and Mocks.
• An AssertionError from inside a call (from Ares, a mock or a conversion) gets the arguments and the text of invokeWithContext as well.
• Docs site with search and the Javadoc: https://valentinherrmann.github.io/Levenshtein-Testing-Framework/.

Migrating from 1000.x to 2000¶

2000.0.0 is the first release of the Ares 2 / Java 25 line and contains these breaking changes:

Gradle or Maven? Both work. The coordinates are unchanged (io.github.valentinherrmann:levenshtein-testing-framework), but a 1000.x exam repository also needs the Ares 2 build wiring (weaving, agent, reserved-package guard). Start from the Gradle or Maven template and see Ares 2 Setup in Detail.