1. # Chroma lexers
    
  2. 
    
  3. All lexers in Chroma should now be defined in XML unless they require custom code.
    
  4. 
    
  5. ## Lexer tests
    
  6. 
    
  7. The tests in this directory feed a known input `testdata/<name>.actual` into the parser for `<name>` and check
    
  8. that its output matches `<name>.expected`.
    
  9. 
    
  10. It is also possible to perform several tests on a same parser `<name>`, by placing know inputs `*.actual` into a
    
  11. directory `testdata/<name>/`.
    
  12. 
    
  13. ### Running the tests
    
  14. 
    
  15. Run the tests as normal:
    
  16. ```go
    
  17. go test ./lexers
    
  18. ```
    
  19. 
    
  20. ### Update existing tests
    
  21. 
    
  22. When you add a new test data file (`*.actual`), you need to regenerate all tests. That's how Chroma creates the `*.expected` test file based on the corresponding lexer.
    
  23. 
    
  24. To regenerate all tests, type in your terminal:
    
  25. 
    
  26. ```go
    
  27. RECORD=true go test ./lexers
    
  28. ```
    
  29. 
    
  30. This first sets the `RECORD` environment variable to `true`. Then it runs `go test` on the `./lexers` directory of the Chroma project.
    
  31. 
    
  32. (That environment variable tells Chroma it needs to output test data. After running `go test ./lexers` you can remove or reset that variable.)
    
  33. 
    
  34. #### Windows users
    
  35. 
    
  36. Windows users will find that the `RECORD=true go test ./lexers` command fails in both the standard command prompt terminal and in PowerShell.
    
  37. 
    
  38. Instead we have to perform both steps separately:
    
  39. 
    
  40. - Set the `RECORD` environment variable to `true`.
    
  41. 	+ In the regular command prompt window, the `set` command sets an environment variable for the current session: `set RECORD=true`. See [this page](https://superuser.com/questions/212150/how-to-set-env-variable-in-windows-cmd-line) for more.
    
  42. 	+ In PowerShell, you can use the `$env:RECORD = 'true'` command for that. See [this article](https://mcpmag.com/articles/2019/03/28/environment-variables-in-powershell.aspx) for more.
    
  43. 	+ You can also make a persistent environment variable by hand in the Windows computer settings. See [this article](https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000549.htm) for how.
    
  44. - When the environment variable is set, run `go test ./lexers`.
    
  45. 
    
  46. Chroma will now regenerate the test files and print its results to the console window.