GoldenFileComparator class abstract

Compares image pixels against a golden image file.

Instances of this comparator will be used as the backend for matchesGoldenFile.

Instances of this comparator will be invoked by the test framework in the TestWidgetsFlutterBinding.runAsync zone and are thus not subject to the fake async constraints that are normally imposed on widget tests (i.e. the need or the ability to call WidgetTester.pump to advance the microtask queue).

What is Golden File Testing?

The term golden file refers to a master image that is considered the true rendering of a given widget, state, application, or other visual representation you have chosen to capture.

By keeping a master reference of visual aspects of your application, you can prevent unintended changes as you develop by testing against them.

Here, a minor code change has altered the appearance of a widget. A golden file test has compared the image generated at the time of the test to the golden master file that was generated earlier. The test has identified the change, preventing unintended modifications.

Sample	Image
Golden Master Image
Difference
Test image after modification

Including Fonts

Custom fonts may render differently across different platforms, or between different versions of Flutter. For example, a golden file generated on Windows with fonts will likely differ from the one produced by another operating system. Even on the same platform, if the generated golden is tested with a different Flutter version, the test may fail and require an updated image.

By default, the Flutter framework uses a font called 'Ahem' which shows squares instead of characters, however, it is possible to render images using custom fonts. For example, this is how to load the 'Roboto' font for a golden test:

testWidgets('Creating a golden image with a custom font', (WidgetTester tester) async {
  // Assuming the 'Roboto.ttf' file is declared in the pubspec.yaml file
  final Future<ByteData> font = rootBundle.load('path/to/font-file/Roboto.ttf');

  final FontLoader fontLoader = FontLoader('Roboto')..addFont(font);
  await fontLoader.load();

  await tester.pumpWidget(const MyWidget());

  await expectLater(
    find.byType(MyWidget),
    matchesGoldenFile('myWidget.png'),
  );
});

The example above loads the desired font only for that specific test. To load a font for all golden file tests, the FontLoader.load() call could be moved in the flutter_test_config.dart. In this way, the font will always be loaded before a test:

Future<void> testExecutable(FutureOr<void> Function() testMain) async {
  setUpAll(() async {
    final FontLoader fontLoader = FontLoader('SomeFont')..addFont(someFont);
    await fontLoader.load();
  });

  await testMain();
}

See also:

• LocalFileComparator for the default GoldenFileComparator implementation for flutter test.
• matchesGoldenFile, the function that invokes the comparator.