Question

Some of the testing I will need to do will require comparing a known array with the result I am getting from the functions I will be running.

For comparing arrays recursively:

• Does PHPUnit have an inbuilt function?
• Does someone here have some code they have constructed to share?
• Will this be something I will have to construct on my own?

Answer 1

Yes it does. assertEquals() and assertNotEquals() documentation.

Specifically:

assertEquals()

assertEquals(mixed $expected, mixed $actual[, string $message = ''])

Reports an error identified by $message if the two variables $expected and $actual are not equal.

assertNotEquals() is the inverse of this assertion and takes the same arguments.

Test Code:

public function testArraysEqual() {
    $arr1 = array( 'hello' => 'a', 'goodbye' => 'b');
    $arr2 = array( 'hello' => 'a', 'goodbye' => 'b');

    $this->assertEquals($arr1, $arr2);
}

public function testArraysNotEqual() {
    $arr1 = array( 'hello' => 'a', 'goodbye' => 'b');
    $arr2 = array( 'hello' => 'b', 'goodbye' => 'a');

    $this->assertNotEquals($arr1, $arr2);
}

[EDIT]

Here is the code for out of order aLists:

public function testArraysEqualReverse() {
    $arr1 = array( 'hello' => 'a', 'goodbye' => 'b');
    $arr2 = array( 'goodbye' => 'b', 'hello' => 'a');

    $this->assertEquals($arr1, $arr2);
}

This test fails:

public function testArraysOutOfOrderEqual() {
    $arr1 = array( 'a', 'b');
    $arr2 = array( 'b', 'a');

    $this->assertEquals($arr1, $arr2);
}

With message:

Failed asserting that 
Array
(
    [0] => b
    [1] => a
)
 is equal to 
Array
(
    [0] => a
    [1] => b
)