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Shoulda vs Tape comparison of testing frameworks
What are the differences between Shoulda and Tape?

Shoulda

https://github.com/thoughtbot/shoulda

Tape

https://github.com/substack/tape
Programming language

Ruby

JavaScript

Category

Unit Testing, Intergration Testing

General info

Meta gem containing Shoulda Context and Shoulda Matchers

Shoulda contains two other gems: Should Context and Shoulda Matchers. Should Context allows better naming and grouping of your tests. Shoulda Matchers provides a set of "matchers", i.e. methods that allow you to write much more concise assertions.

tap-producing test harness for node and browsers.

Tape API is a small superset of the node core assert module
xUnit
Set of frameworks originating from SUnit (Smalltalk's testing framework). They share similar structure and functionality.

No

Yes

It does support xUnit output
Client-side
Allows testing code execution on the client, such as a web browser

N/A

Yes

You can write tests for any part of your front-end code to test any component or functionality
Server-side
Allows testing the bahovior of a server-side code

N/A

Yes

With tape you can test any back-end component, behaviour and functionality after all it supports TAP (Test Anything Protocol)
Fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data (fixtures) that are test-local. This ensures specific environment for a single test

N/A

No

Tape contains only the essential features for making assertions on your code but there is a package called redtape that extends tape to give you beforeEach and afterEach functionality
Group fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data for a group of tests (group-fixtures). This ensures specific environment for a given group of tests.

N/A

No

Generators
Supports data generators for tests. Data generators generate input data for test. The test is then run for each input data produced in this way.

N/A

No

Licence
Licence type governing the use and redistribution of the software

MIT License

MIT License

Mocks
Mocks are objects that simulate the behavior of real objects. Using mocks allows testing some part of the code in isolation (with other parts mocked when needed)

N/A

No

Tape is a minimalistic framework that provides only essential features to make your assertions about your code
Grouping
Allows organizing tests in groups

Yes

No

Tape contains only the essential features for making assertions on your code
Other
Other useful information about the testing framework

Shoulda Context is compatible with Minitest and Test::Unit. Shoulda Matchers is compatible with RSpec and Minitest.