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Clarify the polymorphic matcher concept and explain how to define a composite matcher.

Many gtest users aren't aware that a polymorphic matcher is not actually a `testing::Matcher<>` and thus doesn't know how to describe itself. Clarify this.

Also adds a recipe on how to define a composite matcher. In particular, explain how the composite matcher can describe itself in terms of the description(s) of its sub-matcher(s).

PiperOrigin-RevId: 735840759
Change-Id: I26cff6179349aa739fc7fdd528a2f5308d18c189
This commit is contained in:
Zhanyong Wan 2025-03-11 12:03:38 -07:00 committed by Copybara-Service
parent 4ee4b17bf5
commit 4902ea2d7c

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@ -3567,10 +3567,15 @@ just based on the number of parameters).
### Writing New Monomorphic Matchers
A matcher of argument type `T` implements the matcher interface for `T` and does
two things: it tests whether a value of type `T` matches the matcher, and can
describe what kind of values it matches. The latter ability is used for
generating readable error messages when expectations are violated.
A matcher of type `testing::Matcher<T>` implements the matcher interface for `T`
and does two things: it tests whether a value of type `T` matches the matcher,
and can describe what kind of values it matches. The latter ability is used for
generating readable error messages when expectations are violated. Some matchers
can even explain why it matches or doesn't match a certain value, which can be
helpful when the reason isn't obvious.
Because a matcher of type `testing::Matcher<T>` for a particular type `T` can
only be used to match a value of type `T`, we call it "monomorphic."
A matcher of `T` must declare a typedef like:
@ -3662,8 +3667,16 @@ instead of `std::ostream*`.
### Writing New Polymorphic Matchers
Expanding what we learned above to *polymorphic* matchers is now just as simple
as adding templates in the right place.
Unlike a monomorphic matcher, which can only be used to match a value of a
particular type, a *polymorphic* matcher is one that can be used to match values
of multiple types. For example, `Eq(5)` is a polymorhpic matcher as it can be
used to match an `int`, a `double`, a `float`, and so on. You should think of a
polymorphic matcher as a *matcher factory* as opposed to a
`testing::Matcher<SomeType>` - itself is not an actual matcher, but can be
implicitly converted to a `testing::Matcher<SomeType>` depending on the context.
Expanding what we learned above to polymorphic matchers is now as simple as
adding templates in the right place.
```cpp
@ -3789,6 +3802,26 @@ virtual.
Like in a monomorphic matcher, you may explain the match result by streaming
additional information to the `listener` argument in `MatchAndExplain()`.
### Implementing Composite Matchers {#CompositeMatchers}
Sometimes we want to define a matcher that takes other matchers as parameters.
For example, `DistanceFrom(target, m)` is a polymorphic matcher that takes a
matcher `m` as a parameter. It tests that the distance from `target` to the
value being matched satisfies sub-matcher `m`.
If you are implementing such a composite matcher, you'll need to generate the
description of the matcher based on the description(s) of its sub-matcher(s).
You can see the implementation of `DistanceFrom()` in
`googlemock/include/gmock/gmock-matchers.h` for an example. In particular, pay
attention to `DistanceFromMatcherImpl`. Notice that it stores the sub-matcher as
a `const Matcher<const Distance&> distance_matcher_` instead of a polymorphic
matcher - this allows it to call `distance_matcher_.DescribeTo(os)` to describe
the sub-matcher. If the sub-matcher is stored as a polymorphic matcher instead,
it would not be possible to get its description as in general polymorphic
matchers don't know how to describe themselves - they are matcher factories
instead of actual matchers; only after being converted to `Matcher<SomeType>`
can they be described.
### Writing New Cardinalities
A cardinality is used in `Times()` to tell gMock how many times you expect a