//----------------------------------------------------------------------
/// ...description...
/// @param ...
/// @param ...
bool test_a (...) {

  <check a1>;
  if (!ok) {
    cerr << "ERROR:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "<message>" << endl;
    return false;
  }

  <check a2>;
  if (!ok) {
    cerr << "ERROR:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "<message>" << endl;
    return false;
  }

  return true;
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------
/// ...description...
/// @param ...
/// @param ...
bool test_b (...) {

  // if it is easier to write the test as a shell script, then 
  // (at least for Linux) you could do:
  int status = system ("command");
  if (status != 0) {
    cerr << "ERROR:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "<message>" << endl;
    return false;
  }

}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------
/// ...description...
/// @param ...
/// @param ...
bool test_c (...) {
  ...
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------
int main (int argc, char** argv) {

  int return_value = 0;

  if (!test_a(...)) {
    cerr << "FAILURE:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "test_a failed" << endl;
    return_value = 1;
  }

  if (!test_b(...)) {
    cerr << "FAILURE:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "test_b failed" << endl;
    return_value = 1;
  }

  if (!test_c(...)) {
    cerr << "FAILURE:  " << __FILE__ << ":" << __LINE__ << " "
         << "test_c failed" << endl;
    return_value = 1;
  }

  if (return_value == 0) {
    cerr << "SUCCESS" << endl;
  }

  return return_value;
}