PropEr vs QuickTheories

PropEr is a free, open-source testing tool for Erlang programs. It performs automated, semi-random property-based testing and can generate input data from Erlang type declarations. Functions can be tested automatically from information in their Erlang specifications, while properties are written as Erlang expressions with predefined macros. PropEr also supports model-based random testing for stateful systems and targeted property-based testing using search-based techniques. Failing cases can be shrunk, and the project supports EUnit and Common Test. Constraints that Erlang’s type language cannot express can be handled with custom generators; filtering may keep trying random values until one passes. The generator language differs from Erlang’s type language for list expressions, including support for particular list lengths and element types. PropEr is self-hosted, supports Erlang, and is distributed under GPL version 3 or later. The guide describes installation from GitHub source, with make, or through Homebrew.

QuickTheories is a free, open-source property-based testing library for Java 8. It checks general properties and invariants by generating random valid inputs, then automatically searches for smaller or simpler values that still fail a property. The library reports the seed for a falsified property, and tests can use fixed seeds for deterministic runs. Its generator DSL creates common Java types, constrains values, and combines or converts generators for custom types. QuickTheories works with JUnit, TestNG, and other test frameworks; `checkAssert` supports assertion libraries such as AssertJ and Hamcrest. The `forAll` API handles theories over one to four generated values. System properties configure seeds, example counts, and shrink attempts, while named profiles can reuse settings. An experimental coverage feature targets new code paths, but may reduce performance by about 10% and interfere with JaCoCo or other coverage systems. The project uses the Apache-2.0 license.