Java: How to test methods that call System.exit()?

Question

I've got a few methods that should call System.exit() on certain inputs. Unfortunately, testing these cases causes JUnit to terminate! Putting the method calls in a new Thread doesn't seem to help, since System.exit() terminates the JVM, not just the current thread. Are there any common patterns for dealing with this? For example, can I subsitute a stub for System.exit()?

[EDIT] The class in question is actually a command-line tool which I'm attempting to test inside JUnit. Maybe JUnit is simply not the right tool for the job? Suggestions for complementary regression testing tools are welcome (preferably something that integrates well with JUnit and EclEmma).

Answer 1

A quick look at the api, shows that System.exit can throw an exception esp. if a securitymanager forbids the shutdown of the vm. Maybe a solution would be to install such a manager.

Answer 2

For VonC's answer to run on JUnit 4, I've modified the code as follows

protected static class ExitException extends SecurityException {
    private static final long serialVersionUID = -1982617086752946683L;
    public final int status;

    public ExitException(int status) {
        super("There is no escape!");
        this.status = status;
    }
}

private static class NoExitSecurityManager extends SecurityManager {
    @Override
    public void checkPermission(Permission perm) {
        // allow anything.
    }

    @Override
    public void checkPermission(Permission perm, Object context) {
        // allow anything.
    }

    @Override
    public void checkExit(int status) {
        super.checkExit(status);
        throw new ExitException(status);
    }
}

private SecurityManager securityManager;

@Before
public void setUp() {
    securityManager = System.getSecurityManager();
    System.setSecurityManager(new NoExitSecurityManager());
}

@After
public void tearDown() {
    System.setSecurityManager(securityManager);
}

Answer 3

There are environments where the returned exit code is used by the calling program (such as ERRORLEVEL in MS Batch). We have tests around the main methods that do this in our code, and our approach has been to use a similar SecurityManager override as used in other tests here.

Last night I put together a small JAR using Junit @Rule annotations to hide the security manager code, as well as add expectations based on the expected return code. http://code.google.com/p/junitsystemrules/

Answer 4

You can test System.exit(..) with replacing Runtime instance. E.g. with TestNG + Mockito:

public class ConsoleTest {
    /** Original runtime. */
    private Runtime originalRuntime;

    /** Mocked runtime. */
    private Runtime spyRuntime;

    @BeforeMethod
    public void setUp() {
        originalRuntime = Runtime.getRuntime();
        spyRuntime = spy(originalRuntime);

        // Replace original runtime with a spy (via reflection).
        Utils.setField(Runtime.class, "currentRuntime", spyRuntime);
    }

    @AfterMethod
    public void tearDown() {
        // Recover original runtime.
        Utils.setField(Runtime.class, "currentRuntime", originalRuntime);
    }

    @Test
    public void testSystemExit() {
        // Or anything you want as an answer.
        doNothing().when(spyRuntime).exit(anyInt());

        System.exit(1);

        verify(spyRuntime).exit(1);
    }
}

Answer 5

Calling System.exit() is a bad practice, unless it's done inside a main(). These methods should be throwing an exception which, ultimately, is caught by your main(), who then calls System.exit with the appropriate code.

Answer 6

Indeed, Derkeiler.com suggests:

• Why System.exit() ?

Instead of terminating with System.exit(whateverValue), why not throw an unchecked exception? In normal use it will drift all the way out to the JVM's last-ditch catcher and shut your script down (unless you decide to catch it somewhere along the way, which might be useful someday).

In the JUnit scenario it will be caught by the JUnit framework, which will report that such-and-such test failed and move smoothly along to the next.

• Prevent System.exit() to actually exit the JVM:

Try modifying the TestCase to run with a security manager that prevents calling System.exit, then catch the SecurityException.

public class NoExitTestCase extends TestCase 
{

    protected static class ExitException extends SecurityException 
    {
        public final int status;
        public ExitException(int status) 
        {
            super("There is no escape!");
            this.status = status;
        }
    }

    private static class NoExitSecurityManager extends SecurityManager 
    {
        @Override
        public void checkPermission(Permission perm) 
        {
            // allow anything.
        }
        @Override
        public void checkPermission(Permission perm, Object context) 
        {
            // allow anything.
        }
        @Override
        public void checkExit(int status) 
        {
            super.checkExit(status);
            throw new ExitException(status);
        }
    }

    @Override
    protected void setUp() throws Exception 
    {
        super.setUp();
        System.setSecurityManager(new NoExitSecurityManager());
    }

    @Override
    protected void tearDown() throws Exception 
    {
        System.setSecurityManager(null); // or save and restore original
        super.tearDown();
    }

    public void testNoExit() throws Exception 
    {
        System.out.println("Printing works");
    }

    public void testExit() throws Exception 
    {
        try 
        {
            System.exit(42);
        } catch (ExitException e) 
        {
            assertEquals("Exit status", 42, e.status);
        }
    }
}

---

Update December 2012:

Will proposes in the comments using System Rules, a collection of JUnit(4.9+) rules for testing code which uses java.lang.System.
This was initially mentioned by Stefan Birkner in his answer in December 2011.

System.exit(…)

Use the ExpectedSystemExit rule to verify that System.exit(…) is called.
You could verify the exit status, too.

For instance:

public void MyTest {
    @Rule
    public final ExpectedSystemExit exit = ExpectedSystemExit.none();

    @Test
    public void noSystemExit() {
        //passes
    }

    @Test
    public void systemExitWithArbitraryStatusCode() {
        exit.expectSystemExit();
        System.exit(0);
    }

    @Test
    public void systemExitWithSelectedStatusCode0() {
        exit.expectSystemExitWithStatus(0);
        System.exit(0);
    }
}