Gradle - Configure tests includes from property file - gradle

Question

I've got a Java project build with Gradle and a property file that contains custom configuration for my testing framework (amount of thread to use, test environment url, custom username & password for those environments, etc...).
I'm facing an issue related to using properties from that file that I can't figure out:
if my Test task include '**/*Test.class', all tests are running as expected.
if my Test task include '**/MyTest.class', only that test is running as expected.
if my Test task include readProperty(), the task is skipped as NO-SOURCE. <- this is the part I can't understand - as the readProperty return the correct value.
Let's get into details:
This is how the property is defined in a my.property file:
testng.class.includes='**/MyTest.class'
This is what the build.gradle file looks like:
Properties props = new Properties()
props.load(new FileInputStream(projectDir.toString() + '/common.properties'))
def testsToRunWorking(p) {
String t = 'MyTest.class'
println "Tests = $t"
return t ? t : '**/*Test.class'
}
def testsToRunNotWorking(p) {
String t = getProperty(p, "testng.class.includes")
println "Tests = $t"
return t ? t : '**/*Test.class'
}
task testCustom(type: Test) {
outputs.upToDateWhen { false }
testLogging.showStandardStreams = true
classpath = configurations.customTest + sourceSets.customTest.output
include testsToRunNotWorking(props) ///< Does not work!
// include testsToRunWorking(props) ///< Works!
useTestNG()
}
In terms of debugging:
The println properly return the value I expect, even when the testCustom task doesn't do what I would expect.
I tried adding a dependsOn task just to print the content of testCustom.configure { println $includes } which looks correct as well.
--info
Tests = '**/MyTest.class'
:clean
:compileCustomTestJava - is not incremental (e.g. outputs have changed, no previous execution, etc.).
Note: Some input files use or override a deprecated API.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:deprecation for details.
Note: Some input files use unchecked or unsafe operations.
Note: Recompile with -Xlint:unchecked for details.
:processCustomTestResources
:customTestClasses
:testCustom NO-SOURCE
The core of the issue seems to be coming from the fact that I'm reading that value from property. I hard coded inside the build.gradle everything works as expected. If read from a property file - build stops with a NO-SOURCE statement.
Any idea?
Thanks!

Answer 1

You are using quotation marks in the values of your property files. Everything that comes after the assignment sign in a property file is used as value, so the quotation marks remain in the string. They are printed in your output Tests = '**/MyTest.class'. On the other hand, if you define a string in your (Groovy) code with quotation marks, they are not included in the string. Therefor, the passed strings are not the same.
Remove the quotation marks from your property file(s) and everything should work, since the class files will match your string without the quotation marks.