Qtile has a very extensive test suite, using the Xephyr nested X server. When tests are run, a nested X server with a nested instance of Qtile is fired up, and then tests interact with the Qtile instance through the client API. The fact that we can do this is a great demonstration of just how completely scriptable Qtile is. In fact, Qtile is designed expressly to be scriptable enough to allow unit testing in a nested environment.
The Qtile repo includes a tiny helper script to let you quickly pull up a nested instance instance of Qtile in Xephyr, using your current configuration. Run it from the top-level of the repository, like this:
./test/scripts/xephyr In practice, the development cycle looks something like this:
- Make minor code change
- Run appropriate tests using
nosetests - GOTO 1, until hackage is complete
- Run entire test suite
- Commit
Here are a number of resources that may come in handy:
- Inter-Client Conventions Manual
- Extended Window Manager Hints
- A reasonable basic Xlib Manual