simple (non-unit) test framework, similar to .phpt, should evaluate output/headers/errors/results
<p>I'm looking for a simpler test framework. I had a look at a few PHPUnit and SimpleTest scripts and I find the required syntactic sugar appalling. SnapTest sounded nice, but was as cumbersome. Apache More::Test was too procedural, even for my taste. And Symfony lime-test was ununique in that regard.
BDD tools like <a href="http://everzet.com/Behat/#basics" rel="nofollow">http://everzet.com/Behat/#basics</a> are very nice, but even two abstraction levels higher than desired.</p>

<p>Moreover I've been using throwaway test scripts till now. And I'm wondering if instead of throwing them away, there is a testing framework/tool which simplifies using them for automated tests. Specifically I'd like to use something that:</p>

<ul>
<li>evaluates output (print/echo), or even return values/objects</li>
<li>serializes and saves it away as probe/comparison data</li>
<li>allows to classify that comparison output as passed test or failure</li>
<li>also collects headers, warning or error messages (which might also be expected output)</li>
<li>in addition to a few $test->assert() or test::fail() states</li>
</ul>

<p>Basically I'm too lazy to do the test frameworks work, manually pre-define or boolean evaluate and classify the expected output. Also I don't find it entertaining to needlessly wrap test methods into classes, plain include scripts or functions should suffice. Furthermore it shouldn't be difficult to autorun through the test scripts with a pre-initialized base and test environment.</p>

<p>The old .phpt scripts with their --expect-- output come close, but still require too much manual setup. Also I'd prefer a web GUI to run the tests. Is there a modern rehersal of such test scripts? (plus some header/error/result evalation and eventually unit test::assert methods)</p>

<hr>

<p>Edit, I'll have to give an example. This is your typical PHPUnit test:</p>

<pre><code> class Test_Something extends PHPUnit_Test_Case_Or_Whatever {
     function tearUp() {
         app::__construct(...);
     }
     function testMyFunctionForProperResults() {
         $this-&gt;assertFalse(my_func(false));
         $this-&gt;assertMatch(my_func("xyzABC"), "/Z.+c/");
         $this-&gt;assertTrue(my_func(123) == 321);
     }
 }
</code></pre>

<p>Instead I'd like to use plain PHP with less intermingled test API:</p>

<pre><code> function test_my_function_for_proper_results() {
     assert::false(my_func(false));
     print my_func("xyz_ABC");
     return my_func(123);
 }
</code></pre>

<p>Well, that's actually three tests wrapped in one. But just to highlight: the first version needs manual testing. What I want is sending/returning the test data to the test framework. It's the task of the framework to compare results, and not just spoon-feeded booleans. Or imagine I get a bloated array result or object chain, which I don't want to manually list in the test scripts.</p>
