new_contents: """Tests for the csdms.dakota.environment.base module."""
  
  from nose.tools import raises, assert_true, assert_equal
  from csdms.dakota.environment.base import EnvironmentBase
  
  
  class Concrete(EnvironmentBase):
  
      """A subclass of EnvironmentBase used for testing."""
  
      def __init__(self):
          EnvironmentBase.__init__(self)
  
  
  def setup_module():
      """Called before any tests are performed."""
      print('\n*** ' + __name__)
      global c
      c = Concrete()
  
  
  def teardown_module():
      """Called after all tests have completed."""
      pass
  
  
  @raises(TypeError)
  def test_instantiate():
      """Test whether EnvironmentBase fails to instantiate."""
      d = EnvironmentBase()
  
  
  def test_str_special():
      """Test type of __str__ method results."""
      s = str(c)
      assert_true(type(s) is str)
  
  
  def test_str_length():
      """Test the default length of __str__."""
      s = str(c)
      n_lines = len(s.splitlines())
      assert_equal(n_lines, 1)
  
subject: Add unit tests for EnvironmentBase class