# FIXTURES_SETUP

Specifies a list of fixtures for which the test is to be treated as a setup test. These fixture names are distinct from test case names and are not required to have any similarity to the names of tests associated with them.

Fixture setup tests are ordinary tests with all of the usual test functionality. Setting the `FIXTURES_SETUP` property for a test has two primary effects:

- CTest will ensure the test executes before any other test which lists the fixture name(s) in its `FIXTURES_REQUIRED` property.
- If CTest is asked to run only a subset of tests (e.g. using regular expressions or the `--rerun-failed` option) and the setup test is not in the set of tests to run, it will automatically be added if any tests in the set require any fixture listed in `FIXTURES_SETUP`.

A setup test can have multiple fixtures listed in its `FIXTURES_SETUP` property. It will execute only once for the whole CTest run, not once for each fixture. A fixture can also have more than one setup test defined. If there are multiple setup tests for a fixture, projects can control their order with the usual `DEPENDS` test property if necessary.

A setup test is allowed to require other fixtures, but not any fixture listed in its `FIXTURES_SETUP` property. For example:

    # Ok: dependent fixture is different to setup
    set_tests_properties(setupFoo PROPERTIES
      FIXTURES_SETUP    Foo
      FIXTURES_REQUIRED Bar
    )

    # Error: cannot require same fixture as setup
    set_tests_properties(setupFoo PROPERTIES
      FIXTURES_SETUP    Foo
      FIXTURES_REQUIRED Foo
    )

If any of a fixture’s setup tests fail, none of the tests listing that fixture in its `FIXTURES_REQUIRED` property will be run. Cleanup tests will, however, still be executed.

See `FIXTURES_REQUIRED` for a more complete discussion of how to use test fixtures.