Index: modules/simpletest/drupal_web_test_case.php
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/drupal_web_test_case.php,v
retrieving revision 1.56
diff -u -p -r1.56 drupal_web_test_case.php
--- modules/simpletest/drupal_web_test_case.php	9 Nov 2008 03:07:54 -0000	1.56
+++ modules/simpletest/drupal_web_test_case.php	18 Nov 2008 15:58:54 -0000
@@ -558,14 +558,22 @@ class DrupalWebTestCase {
   }

   /**
-   * Internal helper function; Create a role with specified permissions.
+   * Assign permissions to a user role.
    *
+   * @param $role
+   *   The user role to assign permissions.
    * @param $permissions
    *   Array of permission names to assign to role.
    * @return
-   *   Role ID of newly created role, or FALSE if role creation failed.
+   *   TRUE or FALSE depending on whether the permissions are valid and assigned.
    */
-  private function _drupalCreateRole($permissions = NULL) {
+  function drupalSetPermissions($role, $permissions = NULL) {
+    $rid = db_query("SELECT rid FROM {role} WHERE name = :name", array(':name' => $role))->fetchField();
+    if ($rid === FALSE) {
+      $this->fail(t(' [permission] Role "' . $role . '" not found.'));
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
     // Generate string version of permissions list.
     if ($permissions === NULL) {
       $permissions = array('access comments', 'access content', 'post comments', 'post comments without approval');
@@ -575,18 +583,43 @@ class DrupalWebTestCase {
       return FALSE;
     }

+    // Clear permissions for role.
+    db_delete('role_permission')
+      ->condition('rid', $rid)
+      ->execute();
+
+    // Assign permissions to role.
+    $query = db_insert('role_permission')
+      ->fields(array('rid', 'permission'));
+    foreach ($permissions as $permission_string) {
+      $query->values(array(
+        'rid' => $rid,
+        'permission' => $permission_string,
+      ));
+    }
+    $query->execute();
+    $count = db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {role_permission} WHERE rid = :rid", array(':rid' => $rid))->fetchField();
+    $result = $count == count($permissions);
+    $this->assertTrue($result, t('Created permissions: @perms', array('@perms' => implode(', ', $permissions))), t('Role'));
+
+    return $result;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Internal helper function; Create a role with specified permissions.
+   *
+   * @param $permissions
+   *   Array of permission names to assign to role.
+   * @return
+   *   Role ID of newly created role, or FALSE if role creation failed.
+   */
+  private function _drupalCreateRole($permissions = NULL) {
     // Create new role.
     $role_name = $this->randomName();
     db_query("INSERT INTO {role} (name) VALUES ('%s')", $role_name);
     $role = db_fetch_object(db_query("SELECT * FROM {role} WHERE name = '%s'", $role_name));
     $this->assertTrue($role, t('Created role of name: @role_name, id: @rid', array('@role_name' => $role_name, '@rid' => (isset($role->rid) ? $role->rid : t('-n/a-')))), t('Role'));
-    if ($role && !empty($role->rid)) {
-      // Assign permissions to role and mark it for clean-up.
-      foreach ($permissions as $permission_string) {
-        db_query("INSERT INTO {role_permission} (rid, permission) VALUES (%d, '%s')", $role->rid, $permission_string);
-      }
-      $count = db_result(db_query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {role_permission} WHERE rid = %d", $role->rid));
-      $this->assertTrue($count == count($permissions), t('Created permissions: @perms', array('@perms' => implode(', ', $permissions))), t('Role'));
+    if ($role && !empty($role->rid) && $this->drupalSetPermissions($role->name, $permissions)) {
       return $role->rid;
     }
     else {