diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 659319a99a..b37b7f0a8a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+Sun Oct  5 02:12:00 2003  Nathaniel Talbott  <ntalbott@ruby-lang.org>
+
+	* lib/test/unit/assertions.rb: changed assertion messages to rely more
+	  heavily on #inspect. Added backtrace filtering for exceptions in
+	  assertion messages.
+
+	* test/testunit/test_assertions.rb: ditto.
+
 Sun Oct  5 02:12:00 2003  Masatoshi SEKI  <m_seki@mva.biglobe.ne.jp>
 
 	* lib/drb/acl.rb, lib/drb/ssl.rb: added.
diff --git a/lib/test/unit/assertions.rb b/lib/test/unit/assertions.rb
index 095af4b3c9..5bc1f0dfbb 100644
--- a/lib/test/unit/assertions.rb
+++ b/lib/test/unit/assertions.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 # License:: Ruby license.
 
 require 'test/unit/assertionfailederror'
+require 'test/unit/util/backtracefilter'
 
 module Test # :nodoc:
   module Unit # :nodoc:
@@ -120,7 +121,11 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       public
       def assert_respond_to(object, method, message="")
         _wrap_assertion do
-          assert(method.kind_of?(Symbol) || method.kind_of?(String), "The method argument to #assert_respond_to should be specified as a Symbol or a String.")
+          full_message = build_message('', method) do |arg|
+            "<#{arg}>\n" +
+            "given as the method name argument to #assert_respond_to must be a Symbol or #respond_to?(:to_str)."
+          end
+          assert(method.kind_of?(Symbol) || method.respond_to?(:to_str), full_message)
           full_message = build_message(message, object, object.class, method) do |arg1, arg2, arg3|
             "<#{arg1}>\n" +
             "of type <#{arg2}>\n" +
@@ -134,16 +139,16 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       public
       def assert_match(pattern, string, message="")
         _wrap_assertion do
+          pattern = case(pattern)
+            when String
+              Regexp.new(Regexp.escape(pattern))
+            else
+              pattern
+          end
           full_message = build_message(message, string, pattern) do |arg1, arg2|
             "<#{arg1}> expected to be =~\n" +
             "<#{arg2}>"
           end
-          pattern = case(pattern)
-            when String
-              Regexp.new(pattern)
-            else
-              pattern
-          end
           assert_block(full_message) { string =~ pattern }
         end
       end
@@ -153,8 +158,10 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       public
       def assert_same(expected, actual, message="")
         full_message = build_message(message, expected, expected.__id__, actual, actual.__id__) do |arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4|
-          "<#{arg1}:#{arg2}> expected to be equal? to\n" +
-          "<#{arg3}:#{arg4}>"
+          "<#{arg1}>\n" +
+          "with id <#{arg2}> expected to be equal? to\n" +
+          "<#{arg3}>\n" +
+          "with id <#{arg4}>"
         end
         assert_block(full_message) { actual.equal?(expected) }
       end
@@ -164,12 +171,19 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       # true.
       public
       def assert_operator(object1, operator, object2, message="")
-        full_message = build_message(message, object1, operator, object2) do |arg1, arg2, arg3|
-          "<#{arg1}> expected to be\n" +
-          "#{arg2}\n" +
-          "<#{arg3}>"
+        _wrap_assertion do
+          full_message = build_message('', operator) do |arg|
+            "<#{arg}>\n" +
+            "given as the operator for #assert_operator must be a Symbol or #respond_to?(:to_str)."
+          end
+          assert(operator.kind_of?(Symbol) || operator.respond_to?(:to_str), full_message)
+          full_message = build_message(message, object1, AssertionMessage.literal(operator), object2) do |arg1, arg2, arg3|
+            "<#{arg1}> expected to be\n" +
+            "#{arg2}\n" +
+            "<#{arg3}>"
+          end
+          assert_block(full_message) { object1.send(operator, object2) }
         end
-        assert_block(full_message) { object1.send(operator, object2) }
       end
 
       # Passes if block does not raise an exception.
@@ -207,8 +221,10 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       public
       def assert_not_same(expected, actual, message="")
         full_message = build_message(message, expected, expected.__id__, actual, actual.__id__) do |arg1, arg2, arg3, arg4|
-          "<#{arg1}:#{arg2}> expected to not be equal? to\n" +
-          "<#{arg3}:#{arg4}>"
+          "<#{arg1}>\n" +
+          "with id <#{arg2}> expected to not be equal? to\n" +
+          "<#{arg3}>\n" +
+          "with id <#{arg4}>"
         end
         assert_block(full_message) { !actual.equal?(expected) }
       end
@@ -237,9 +253,9 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       def assert_no_match(regexp, string, message="")
         _wrap_assertion do
           assert_instance_of(Regexp, regexp, "The first argument to assert_does_not_match should be a Regexp.")
-          full_message = build_message(message, regexp.source, string) do |arg1, arg2|
-            "</#{arg1}/> expected to not match\n" +
-            " <#{arg2}>"
+          full_message = build_message(message, regexp, string) do |arg1, arg2|
+            "<#{arg1}> expected to not match\n" +
+            "<#{arg2}>"
           end
           assert_block(full_message) { regexp !~ string }
         end
@@ -258,16 +274,16 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
               caught = false
             end
             full_message = build_message(message, expected_symbol) do |arg|
-              "<:#{arg}> should have been thrown"
+              "<#{arg}> should have been thrown"
             end
             assert(caught, full_message)
           rescue NameError => name_error
             if ( name_error.message !~ /^uncaught throw `(.+)'$/ )  #`
               raise name_error
             end
-            full_message = build_message(message, expected_symbol, $1) do |arg1, arg2|
-              "<:#{arg1}> expected to be thrown but\n" +
-              "<:#{arg2}> was thrown"
+            full_message = build_message(message, expected_symbol, $1.intern) do |arg1, arg2|
+              "<#{arg1}> expected to be thrown but\n" +
+              "<#{arg2}> was thrown"
             end
             flunk(full_message)
           end  
@@ -285,8 +301,8 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
             if (name_error.message !~ /^uncaught throw `(.+)'$/ )  #`
               raise name_error
             end
-            full_message = build_message(message, $1) do |arg|
-              "<:#{arg}> was thrown when nothing was expected"
+            full_message = build_message(message, $1.intern) do |arg|
+              "<#{arg}> was thrown when nothing was expected"
             end
             flunk(full_message)
           end
@@ -319,9 +335,9 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
         _wrap_assertion do
           assert_instance_of(Array, send_array, "assert_send requires an array of send information")
           assert(send_array.size >= 2, "assert_send requires at least a receiver and a message name")
-          full_message = build_message(message, send_array[0], send_array[1], send_array[2..-1]) do |arg1, arg2, arg3|
+          full_message = build_message(message, send_array[0], AssertionMessage.literal(send_array[1].to_s), send_array[2..-1]) do |arg1, arg2, arg3|
             "<#{arg1}> expected to respond to\n" +
-            "<#{arg2}(#{arg3})> with true"
+            "<#{arg2}(#{arg3})> with a true value"
           end
           assert_block(full_message) { send_array[0].__send__(send_array[1], *send_array[2..-1]) }
         end
@@ -354,20 +370,32 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
       end
       
       class AssertionMessage # :nodoc: all
-        def self.convert(object)
+        class Literal
+          def initialize(value)
+            @value = value
+          end
+          
+          def inspect
+            @value
+          end
+        end
+
+        def self.literal(value)
+          Literal.new(value)
+        end
+
+        include Util::BacktraceFilter
+
+        def convert(object)
           case object
-            when String
-              return object
-            when Symbol
-              return object.to_s
-            when Regexp
-              return "/#{object.source}/"
             when Exception
-              return "Class: <#{object.class}>\n" +
-                  "Message: <#{object.message}>\n" +
-                  "---Backtrace---\n" +
-                  object.backtrace.join("\n") + "\n" +
-                  "---------------"
+              return <<EOM.strip
+Class: <#{object.class}>
+Message: <#{object.message}>
+---Backtrace---
+#{filter_backtrace(object.backtrace).join("\n")}
+---------------
+EOM
             else
               return object.inspect
           end
@@ -389,7 +417,7 @@ module Test # :nodoc:
           end
           @parameters = @parameters.collect {
             | parameter |
-            self.class.convert(parameter)
+            convert(parameter)
           }
           message_parts << @block.call(*@parameters)
           return message_parts.join("\n")
diff --git a/test/testunit/test_assertions.rb b/test/testunit/test_assertions.rb
index b09986b16f..a9639f0740 100644
--- a/test/testunit/test_assertions.rb
+++ b/test/testunit/test_assertions.rb
@@ -99,12 +99,15 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_equal("string1", "string1", "successful assert_equal")
         }
-        check_fails("<string1> expected but was\n<string2>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string1"> expected but was\n<"string2">}) {
           assert_equal("string1", "string2")
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_equal.\n<string1> expected but was\n<string2>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_equal.\n<"string1"> expected but was\n<"string2">}) {
           assert_equal("string1", "string2", "failed assert_equal")
         }
+        check_fails(%Q{<"1"> expected but was\n<1>}) do
+          assert_equal("1", 1)
+        end
       end
       
       def test_assert_raises
@@ -153,10 +156,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_instance_of(String, "string", "successful assert_instance_of")
         }
-        check_fails("<string> expected to be an instance of\n<Hash> but was\n<String>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string"> expected to be an instance of\n<Hash> but was\n<String>}) {
           assert_instance_of(Hash, "string")
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_instance_of.\n<string> expected to be an instance of\n<Hash> but was\n<String>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_instance_of.\n<"string"> expected to be an instance of\n<Hash> but was\n<String>}) {
           assert_instance_of(Hash, "string", "failed assert_instance_of")
         }
       end
@@ -171,10 +174,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_nil(nil, "successful assert_nil")
         }
-        check_fails("<nil> expected but was\n<string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<nil> expected but was\n<"string">}) {
           assert_nil("string")
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_nil.\n<nil> expected but was\n<string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_nil.\n<nil> expected but was\n<"string">}) {
           assert_nil("string", "failed assert_nil")
         }
       end
@@ -192,10 +195,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_kind_of(Comparable, 1)
         }
-        check_fails("<string>\nexpected to be kind_of?<Class>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string">\nexpected to be kind_of?<Class>}) {
           assert_kind_of(Class, "string")
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_kind_of.\n<string>\nexpected to be kind_of?<Class>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_kind_of.\n<"string">\nexpected to be kind_of?<Class>}) {
           assert_kind_of(Class, "string", "failed assert_kind_of")
         }
       end
@@ -213,13 +216,13 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_match(/strin./, "string", "successful assert_match")
         }
-        check_fails("<string> expected to be =~\n</slin./>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string"> expected to be =~\n</slin./>}) {
           assert_match(/slin./, "string")
         }
-        check_fails("<string> expected to be =~\n<slin>") {
-          assert_match("slin", "string")
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string"> expected to be =~\n</strin\\./>}) {
+          assert_match("strin.", "string")
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_match.\n<string> expected to be =~\n</slin./>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_match.\n<"string"> expected to be =~\n</slin./>}) {
           assert_match(/slin./, "string", "failed assert_match")
         }
       end
@@ -236,10 +239,10 @@ module Test
           assert_same(thing, thing, "successful assert_same")
         }
         thing2 = "thing"
-        check_fails("<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}> expected to be equal? to\n<#{thing2}:#{thing2.__id__}>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}> expected to be equal? to\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing2.__id__}>}) {
           assert_same(thing, thing2)
         }
-        check_fails("failed assert_same.\n<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}> expected to be equal? to\n<#{thing2}:#{thing2.__id__}>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{failed assert_same.\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}> expected to be equal? to\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing2.__id__}>}) {
           assert_same(thing, thing2, "failed assert_same")
         }
       end
@@ -308,10 +311,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_not_same(thing, thing2, "message")
         }
-        check_fails("<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}> expected to not be equal? to\n<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}> expected to not be equal? to\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}>}) {
           assert_not_same(thing, thing)
         }
-        check_fails("message.\n<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}> expected to not be equal? to\n<#{thing}:#{thing.__id__}>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{message.\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}> expected to not be equal? to\n<"thing">\nwith id <#{thing.__id__}>}) {
           assert_not_same(thing, thing, "message")
         }
       end
@@ -323,10 +326,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_not_equal("string1", "string2", "message")
         }
-        check_fails("<string> expected to be != to\n<string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<"string"> expected to be != to\n<"string">}) {
           assert_not_equal("string", "string")
         }
-        check_fails("message.\n<string> expected to be != to\n<string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{message.\n<"string"> expected to be != to\n<"string">}) {
           assert_not_equal("string", "string", "message")
         }
       end
@@ -353,10 +356,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_no_match(/sling/, "string", "message")
         }
-        check_fails("</string/> expected to not match\n <string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{</string/> expected to not match\n<"string">}) {
           assert_no_match(/string/, "string")
         }
-        check_fails("message.\n</string/> expected to not match\n <string>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{message.\n</string/> expected to not match\n<"string">}) {
           assert_no_match(/string/, "string", "message")
         }
       end
@@ -396,7 +399,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_operator("thing", :==, "thing", "message")
         }
-        check_fails("message.\n<thing1> expected to be\n==\n<thing2>") {
+        check_fails(%Q{<0.15>\ngiven as the operator for #assert_operator must be a Symbol or #respond_to?(:to_str).}) do
+          assert_operator("thing", 0.15, "thing")
+        end
+        check_fails(%Q{message.\n<"thing1"> expected to be\n==\n<"thing2">}) {
           assert_operator("thing1", :==, "thing2", "message")
         }
       end
@@ -408,10 +414,10 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_respond_to("thing", "to_s", "message")
         }
-        check_fails("The method argument to #assert_respond_to should be specified as a Symbol or a String.") {
+        check_fails("<0.15>\ngiven as the method name argument to #assert_respond_to must be a Symbol or #respond_to?(:to_str).") {
           assert_respond_to("thing", 0.15)
         }
-        check_fails("message.\n<symbol>\nof type <Symbol>\nexpected to respond_to?<non_existent>") {
+        check_fails("message.\n<:symbol>\nof type <Symbol>\nexpected to respond_to?<:non_existent>") {
           assert_respond_to(:symbol, :non_existent, "message")
         }
       end
@@ -433,7 +439,7 @@ module Test
         check_fails("message.\n<0.5> and\n<0.4> expected to be within\n<0.05> of each other") {
           assert_in_delta(0.5, 0.4, 0.05, "message")
         }
-        check_fails(%r{The arguments must respond to to_f; the first float did not\.\n<.+>\nof type <Object>\nexpected to respond_to\?<to_f>}) {
+        check_fails(%r{The arguments must respond to to_f; the first float did not\.\n<.+>\nof type <Object>\nexpected to respond_to\?<:to_f>}) {
           assert_in_delta(Object.new, 0.4, 0.1)
         }
         check_fails("The delta should not be negative.\n<-0.1> expected to be\n>=\n<0.0>") {
@@ -452,7 +458,7 @@ module Test
         check_nothing_fails {
           assert_send([object, :return_argument, true, "bogus"], "message")
         }
-        check_fails(%r{message\.\n<.+> expected to respond to\n<return_argument\(\[false, "bogus"\]\)> with true}) {
+        check_fails(%r{message\.\n<.+> expected to respond to\n<return_argument\(\[false, "bogus"\]\)> with a true value}) {
           assert_send([object, :return_argument, false, "bogus"], "message")
         }
       end