⚠️ This library is a work in progress, it is not yet available on hex ⚠️
# 📝 Calque — Snapshot testing for Elixir
> **/kalk/** — “Calque” is a French word meaning *tracing paper* or *copy*.
> Like its name, this library lets you trace your program’s output and compare it over time.
**Calque** lets you assert on complex outputs without hand-crafting expected values.
On first run, Calque stores a **snapshot**; subsequent runs compare against it and show a reviewable diff.
Think of it as:
> You focus on producing the result. Calque stores it, compares it later, and helps you review changes.
Inspired by **Insta (Rust)** and **Birdie (Gleam)** — simple, expressive, and pleasant to use.
---
## ✨ Features
- **Zero-friction assertions** — write `snapshot!(value)` and move on.
- **Readable diffs** — pretty boxes highlighting `+` additions and `-` deletions.
- **CLI review loop** — accept (`a`), reject (`r`), skip (`s`) or quit (`q`) interactively.
- **Deterministic output** — optional normalizers/formatters for stable snapshots.
- **Project-local storage** — snapshots live under `calque_snapshots/` by default.
- **ExUnit friendly** — drop-in helpers for clean test integration.
- **CI-ready** — fail the build on mismatches, review locally, then re-run.
---
## 🔧 Installation
Add **Calque** to your `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:calque, "~> 1.0.1", only: :test}
]
end
```
Then:
```bash
mix deps.get
```
---
## 🚀 Quick start
```elixir
defmodule MyApp.FancyRenderTest do
use ExUnit.Case, async: true
test "renders a friendly greeting" do
%{
hello: "world",
nums: [1, 2, 3, 4]
}
|> inspect(pretty: true)
|> Calque.snapshot()
end
end
```
First run: Calque writes a new snapshot.
Next runs: Calque diffs the current output against the saved snapshot.
---
## 🖥️ CLI review
When tests detect **new** or **mismatched** snapshots, Calque prints a friendly hint:
```
📝 Calque snapshot test failed
── new snapshot ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
... content ...
```
Start the review loop:
```bash
mix calque review
```
You'll see an interactive UI:
```
Reviewing snapshot 1 of 2
── mismatched snapshot ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
title: My first snapshot ! :D
- old snapshot
+ new snapshot
-------┬-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1 - hello: "world"
1 + hello: "world!!"
-------┴-----------------------------------------------------------------------
a accept r reject s skip q quit
```
- Press `a` to accept and update the stored snapshot
- Press `r` to reject (keeps the stored snapshot)
- Press `s` to skip and continue
- Press `q` to quit the interactive review
---
## 🖍️ Writing great snapshot tests
- Prefer stable, pretty representation. Do not hesitate to make your own !
- Use normalizers to remove volatile data (timestamps, random IDS)
- Keep **titles** meaningful and unique for easier review
- Treat snapshots as part of your spec -- commit them with version control
---
## 🫶 Inspirations and acknowledgments
