java.lang.Object
- org.junit.runner.Description

All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable
```
public class Description
extends Object
implements Serializable
```
A Description describes a test which is to be run or has been run. Descriptions can be atomic (a single test) or compound (containing children tests). Descriptions are used to provide feedback about the tests that are about to run (for example, the tree view visible in many IDEs) or tests that have been run (for example, the failures view).
Descriptions are implemented as a single class rather than a Composite because they are entirely informational. They contain no logic aside from counting their tests.
In the past, we used the raw TestCases and TestSuites to display the tree of tests. This was no longer viable in JUnit 4 because atomic tests no longer have a superclass below Object. We needed a way to pass a class and name together. Description emerged from this.
Since:
4.0
See Also:
Request, Runner, Serialized Form

Field Summary

Fields
Modifier and Type	Field	Description
`static Description`	`EMPTY`	Describes a Runner which runs no tests
`static Description`	`TEST_MECHANISM`	Describes a step in the test-running mechanism that goes so wrong no other description can be used (for example, an exception thrown from a Runner's constructor

Method Summary

All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`void`	`addChild(Description description)`	Add `Description` as a child of the receiver.
`Description`	`childlessCopy()`
`static Description`	`createSuiteDescription(Class<?> testClass)`	Create a `Description` named after `testClass`
`static Description`	`createSuiteDescription(String name, Serializable uniqueId, Annotation... annotations)`	Create a `Description` named `name`.
`static Description`	`createSuiteDescription(String name, Annotation... annotations)`	Create a `Description` named `name`.
`static Description`	`createTestDescription(Class<?> clazz, String name)`	Create a `Description` of a single test named `name` in the class `clazz`.
`static Description`	`createTestDescription(Class<?> clazz, String name, Annotation... annotations)`	Create a `Description` of a single test named `name` in the class `clazz`.
`static Description`	`createTestDescription(String className, String name, Serializable uniqueId)`	Create a `Description` of a single test named `name` in the class `clazz`.
`static Description`	`createTestDescription(String className, String name, Annotation... annotations)`	Create a `Description` of a single test named `name` in the 'class' named `className`.
`boolean`	`equals(Object obj)`
`<T extends Annotation> T`	`getAnnotation(Class<T> annotationType)`
`Collection<Annotation>`	`getAnnotations()`
`ArrayList<Description>`	`getChildren()`	Gets the copy of the children of this `Description`.
`String`	`getClassName()`
`String`	`getDisplayName()`
`String`	`getMethodName()`
`Class<?>`	`getTestClass()`
`int`	`hashCode()`
`boolean`	`isEmpty()`
`boolean`	`isSuite()`
`boolean`	`isTest()`
`int`	`testCount()`
`String`	`toString()`

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

- Field Detail
  - EMPTY
```
public static final Description EMPTY
```
    Describes a Runner which runs no tests
  - TEST_MECHANISM
```
public static final Description TEST_MECHANISM
```
    Describes a step in the test-running mechanism that goes so wrong no other description can be used (for example, an exception thrown from a Runner's constructor
- Method Detail
  - createSuiteDescription
```
public static Description createSuiteDescription(String name,
                                                 Annotation... annotations)
```
    Create a Description named name. Generally, you will add children to this Description.
    Parameters:
    name - the name of the Description
    annotations - meta-data about the test, for downstream interpreters
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createSuiteDescription
```
public static Description createSuiteDescription(String name,
                                                 Serializable uniqueId,
                                                 Annotation... annotations)
```
    Create a Description named name. Generally, you will add children to this Description.
    Parameters:
    name - the name of the Description
    uniqueId - an arbitrary object used to define uniqueness (in equals(Object)
    annotations - meta-data about the test, for downstream interpreters
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createTestDescription
```
public static Description createTestDescription(String className,
                                                String name,
                                                Annotation... annotations)
```
    Create a Description of a single test named name in the 'class' named className. Generally, this will be a leaf Description. This method is a better choice than createTestDescription(Class, String, Annotation...) for test runners whose test cases are not defined in an actual Java Class.
    Parameters:
    className - the class name of the test
    name - the name of the test (a method name for test annotated with Test)
    annotations - meta-data about the test, for downstream interpreters
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createTestDescription
```
public static Description createTestDescription(Class<?> clazz,
                                                String name,
                                                Annotation... annotations)
```
    Create a Description of a single test named name in the class clazz. Generally, this will be a leaf Description.
    Parameters:
    clazz - the class of the test
    name - the name of the test (a method name for test annotated with Test)
    annotations - meta-data about the test, for downstream interpreters
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createTestDescription
```
public static Description createTestDescription(Class<?> clazz,
                                                String name)
```
    Create a Description of a single test named name in the class clazz. Generally, this will be a leaf Description. (This remains for binary compatibility with clients of JUnit 4.3)
    Parameters:
    clazz - the class of the test
    name - the name of the test (a method name for test annotated with Test)
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createTestDescription
```
public static Description createTestDescription(String className,
                                                String name,
                                                Serializable uniqueId)
```
    Create a Description of a single test named name in the class clazz. Generally, this will be a leaf Description.
    Parameters:
    name - the name of the test (a method name for test annotated with Test)
    Returns:
    a Description named name
  - createSuiteDescription
```
public static Description createSuiteDescription(Class<?> testClass)
```
    Create a Description named after testClass
    Parameters:
    testClass - A Class containing tests
    Returns:
    a Description of testClass
  - getDisplayName
```
public String getDisplayName()
```
    Returns:
    a user-understandable label
  - addChild
```
public void addChild(Description description)
```
    Add Description as a child of the receiver.
    Parameters:
    description - the soon-to-be child.
  - getChildren
```
public ArrayList<Description> getChildren()
```
    Gets the copy of the children of this Description. Returns an empty list if there are no children.
  - isSuite
```
public boolean isSuite()
```
    Returns:
    true if the receiver is a suite
  - isTest
```
public boolean isTest()
```
    Returns:
    true if the receiver is an atomic test
  - testCount
```
public int testCount()
```
    Returns:
    the total number of atomic tests in the receiver
  - hashCode
```
public int hashCode()
```
    Overrides:
    hashCode in class Object
  - equals
```
public boolean equals(Object obj)
```
    Overrides:
    equals in class Object
  - toString
```
public String toString()
```
    Overrides:
    toString in class Object
  - isEmpty
```
public boolean isEmpty()
```
    Returns:
    true if this is a description of a Runner that runs no tests
  - childlessCopy
```
public Description childlessCopy()
```
    Returns:
    a copy of this description, with no children (on the assumption that some of the children will be added back)
  - getAnnotation
```
public <T extends Annotation> T getAnnotation(Class<T> annotationType)
```
    Returns:
    the annotation of type annotationType that is attached to this description node, or null if none exists
  - getAnnotations
```
public Collection<Annotation> getAnnotations()
```
    Returns:
    all of the annotations attached to this description node
  - getTestClass
```
public Class<?> getTestClass()
```
    Returns:
    If this describes a method invocation, the class of the test instance.
  - getClassName
```
public String getClassName()
```
    Returns:
    If this describes a method invocation, the name of the class of the test instance
  - getMethodName
```
public String getMethodName()
```
    Returns:
    If this describes a method invocation, the name of the method (or null if not)

Class Description

Field Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Field Detail

EMPTY

TEST_MECHANISM

Method Detail

createSuiteDescription

createSuiteDescription

createTestDescription

createTestDescription

createTestDescription

createTestDescription

createSuiteDescription

getDisplayName

addChild

getChildren

isSuite

isTest

testCount

hashCode

equals

toString

isEmpty

childlessCopy

getAnnotation

getAnnotations

getTestClass

getClassName

getMethodName