catch3/tests/TestScripts/DiscoverTests/TestPrepareCommand.cmake, branch v3.15.3 Progmasoft Catch3: an independently maintained C++17 test framework with a parallel runner, property checks, snapshots and structured results. Optimize adding test commands in catch_discover_tests 2026-07-26T13:50:31+00:00 Martin Hořeňovský 2026-07-24T10:22:49+00:00 64a551e2e7edb85e4f2cd99e5737a587eb06c35b The previous approach was for `add_command` to behave as append function via concatenating the command string internally and then saving it into `PARENT_SCOPE`. Because this in practice ended up meaning concatenating a copy of the string inside the function and then overwriting the string outside the function, the performance was lacking. The new approach is for `prepare_command` to only escape & return the command from single call, and the caller is responsible for concatenating the result. Since the actual concatenation no longer crosses function scope boundaries, the performance is much better, even though the scaling is still quadratic. The new approach only takes 1/4-1/5 of the time, saving ~1s at 1k tests, 4.5s at 2k tests and 19s at 4k tests. 
The previous approach was for `add_command` to behave as append function
via concatenating the command string internally and then saving it into
`PARENT_SCOPE`. Because this in practice ended up meaning concatenating
a copy of the string inside the function and then overwriting the string
outside the function, the performance was lacking.

The new approach is for `prepare_command` to only escape & return the
command from single call, and the caller is responsible for concatenating
the result. Since the actual concatenation no longer crosses function
scope boundaries, the performance is much better, even though the scaling
is still quadratic.

The new approach only takes 1/4-1/5 of the time, saving ~1s at 1k tests,
4.5s at 2k tests and 19s at 4k tests.