Feature Name: lint_test_inner_function
Start Date: 2018-06-10
RFC PR: rust-lang/rfcs#2471
Rust Issue: rust-lang/rust#53911

Summary

Add a lint that warns when marking an inner function as #[test].

Motivation

#[test] is used to mark functions to be run as part of a test suite. The functions being marked need to be addressable for this to work. Currently, marking an inner function as #[test] will not raise any errors or warnings, but the test will silently not be run. By adding a lint that identifies these cases, users are less likely to fail to notice.

Guide-level explanation

This is a lint that triggers when a #[test] annotation is found in a non addressable function, warning that that function cannot be tested.

For example, in the following code, bar will never be called as part of a test run:

fn foo() {
    #[test]
    fn bar() {
        assert!(true);
    }
}

The output should resemble the following:

error: cannot test inner function
  --> $DIR/test-inner-fn.rs:15:5
   |
LL |     #[test] //~ ERROR cannot test inner function [untestable_method]
   |     ^^^^^^^
   |
   = note: requested on the command line with `-D untestable-method`

Reference-level explanation

This is a new lint that shouldn't interact with others. Due to the interaction with cfg attributes, the lint might only warn when run as part of a --test compilation. This would be acceptable.

Drawbacks

Can't think of any reason not to do this.

Rationale and alternatives

Adding as a lint allows users to silence the error if they so wish.

Not addressing this issue will let this problem continue happening without warning to end users.

Prior art

This would act in the same way as other lints warning for potentially problematic valid code.

Unresolved questions

None.