[SUREFIRE-1526] Allow the Maven Surefire Plugin to be used to test non-java projects

**[Devin Owens](https://issues.apache.org/jira/secure/ViewProfile.jspa?name=dsowens)** opened **[SUREFIRE-1526](https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SUREFIRE-1526?redirect=false)** and commented

My Company uses a custom language that we've written a unit test framework for in Java. We would like to be able to run those tests as part of our maven build process and the Maven Surefire Plugin with out unit test framework as a test provider seems to be the best option, but the Maven Surefire Plugin looks for a java test file in src/test/java or a testng xml file before invoking the provider in AbstractSurefireMojo.execute(). Since the tests that our provider runs are not java tests this means that our tests can't be run. If there is not already a supported way of doing this I would recommend making checking for the existence of tests the responsibility of the test provider.

---

**Affects:** 2.22.0

Start at AbstractSurefireMojo.execute(), where the issue says Java test files and TestNG XML are checked before the provider runs. Trace how providers are selected and determine how a non-Java provider could establish whether tests exist; done means the custom provider can run as part of a Maven build without Java test files or TestNG XML.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.