--- a/tests/test.py	Mon Nov 11 19:18:58 2013 -0800
+++ b/tests/test.py	Fri Mar 21 21:29:24 2014 -0700
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 """
-doctest runner for pyloader
+run tests for pyloader
 """
 
 import doctest
@@ -9,25 +9,31 @@
 import sys
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
+directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
-def run_tests(raise_on_error=False, report_first=False):
+def gather():
+    """ gather tests"""
+    return [test for test in os.listdir(directory)
+            if test.endswith('.txt')]
+
+def run_tests(tests=None, raise_on_error=False, report_first=False):
+    """run the tests"""
 
     # add results here
     results = {}
 
     # doctest arguments
-    directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
     extraglobs = {'here': directory}
     doctest_args = dict(extraglobs=extraglobs, raise_on_error=raise_on_error)
     if report_first:
         doctest_args['optionflags'] = doctest.REPORT_ONLY_FIRST_FAILURE
 
     # gather tests
-    tests =  [ test for test in os.listdir(directory)
-               if test.endswith('.txt') ]
+    tests = tests or gather()
 
     # run the tests
     for test in tests:
+        print ("Running: " + test)
         try:
             results[test] = doctest.testfile(test, **doctest_args)
         except doctest.DocTestFailure, failure:
@@ -40,7 +46,10 @@
 def main(args=sys.argv[1:]):
 
     # parse command line args
-    parser = OptionParser()
+    parser = OptionParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_option('--list', dest='list_tests',
+                      action='store_true', default=False,
+                      help="list tests and exit")
     parser.add_option('--raise', dest='raise_on_error',
                       default=False, action='store_true',
                       help="raise on first error")
@@ -49,12 +58,19 @@
                       help="report the first error only (all tests will still run)")
     options, args = parser.parse_args(args)
 
+    # gathe tests
+    tests = gather()
+
+    if options.list_tests:
+        print ("\n".join(tests))
+        sys.exit()
+
     # run the tests
     results = run_tests(report_first=options.report_first,
                         raise_on_error=options.raise_on_error)
     if sum([i.failed for i in results.values()]):
         sys.exit(1) # error
-                
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     main()