diff --git a/BytecodeTranslator/Program.cs b/BytecodeTranslator/Program.cs
index f9a43b6..ff94543 100644
--- a/BytecodeTranslator/Program.cs
+++ b/BytecodeTranslator/Program.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 using BytecodeTranslator.TranslationPlugins;
 using BytecodeTranslator.TranslationPlugins.BytecodeTranslator;
 using BytecodeTranslator.TranslationPlugins.PhoneTranslator;
+using System.Text;
 
 namespace BytecodeTranslator {
 
@@ -261,25 +262,19 @@ public static int Inline(string bplFileName) {
       return 0;
     }
 
-    public static int TranslateAssemblyAndWriteOutput(List<string> assemblyNames, HeapFactory heapFactory, Options options, List<Regex> exemptionList, bool whiteList) {
+    public static string TranslateAssemblyAndReturnOutput(List<string> assemblyNames, HeapFactory heapFactory, Options options, List<Regex> exemptionList, bool whiteList) {
       Contract.Requires(assemblyNames != null);
       Contract.Requires(heapFactory != null);
-      try {
-        var pgm = TranslateAssembly(assemblyNames, heapFactory, options, exemptionList, whiteList);
-        var fileName = assemblyNames[0];
-        fileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fileName);
-        string outputFileName = fileName + ".bpl";
-        using (var writer = new Microsoft.Boogie.TokenTextWriter(outputFileName)) {
-          Prelude.Emit(writer);
-          pgm.Emit(writer);
-          writer.Close();
-        }
-        return 0; // success
-      } catch (Exception e) { // swallow everything and just return an error code
-        Console.WriteLine("The byte-code translator failed: {0}", e.Message);
-        // Console.WriteLine("Stack trace: {0}", e.StackTrace);
-        return -1;
+      var pgm = TranslateAssembly(assemblyNames, heapFactory, options, exemptionList, whiteList);
+      var fileName = assemblyNames[0];
+      fileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fileName);
+      string outputFileName = fileName + ".bpl";
+      var sb = new StringBuilder();
+      using (var writer = new Microsoft.Boogie.TokenTextWriter(outputFileName, new StringWriter(sb), false)) {
+        Prelude.Emit(writer);
+        pgm.Emit(writer);
       }
+      return sb.ToString();
     }
 
     public static Bpl.Program/*?*/ TranslateAssembly(List<string> assemblyNames, HeapFactory heapFactory, Options options, List<Regex> exemptionList, bool whiteList) {
diff --git a/RegressionTests/TranslationTest/UnitTest0.cs b/RegressionTests/TranslationTest/UnitTest0.cs
index 62ce915..fcdc0b9 100644
--- a/RegressionTests/TranslationTest/UnitTest0.cs
+++ b/RegressionTests/TranslationTest/UnitTest0.cs
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ public TestContext TestContext {
       }
     }
 
+    private string InputAssemblyPath =>
+      typeof(RegressionTestInput.Class0).Assembly.Location;
+
     #region Additional test attributes
     //
     // You can use the following additional attributes as you write your tests:
@@ -64,42 +67,33 @@ private string ExecuteTest(string assemblyName, HeapFactory heapFactory) {
       var options = new Options();
       options.monotonicHeap = true;
       options.dereference = Options.Dereference.Assume;
-      BCT.TranslateAssemblyAndWriteOutput(new List<string> { assemblyName }, heapFactory, options, null, false);
-      var fileName = Path.ChangeExtension(assemblyName, "bpl");
-      var s = File.ReadAllText(fileName);
-      return s;
+      return BCT.TranslateAssemblyAndReturnOutput(new List<string> { assemblyName }, heapFactory, options, null, false);
     }
 
-    [TestMethod]
-    public void SplitFieldsHeap() {
-      string dir = TestContext.DeploymentDirectory;
-      var fullPath = Path.Combine(dir, "RegressionTestInput.dll");
-      Stream resource = typeof(UnitTest0).Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("TranslationTest.SplitFieldsHeapInput.txt");
+    private void ComparisonTest(string name, Heap heap)
+    {
+      Stream resource = typeof(UnitTest0).Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream(
+        "TranslationTest." + name + "Input.txt");
       StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(resource);
       string expected = reader.ReadToEnd();
-      var result = ExecuteTest(fullPath, new SplitFieldsHeap());
-      if (result != expected) {
-        string resultFile = Path.GetFullPath("SplitFieldsHeapOutput.txt");
+      var result = ExecuteTest(InputAssemblyPath, new SplitFieldsHeap());
+      if (result != expected)
+      {
+        string resultFile = Path.Combine(TestContext.DeploymentDirectory, name + "Output.txt");
         File.WriteAllText(resultFile, result);
-        var msg = String.Format("Output didn't match: SplitFieldsHeapInput.txt \"{0}\"", resultFile);
+        var msg = String.Format("Output didn't match: {0}Input.txt \"{1}\"", name, resultFile);
         Assert.Fail(msg);
       }
     }
 
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void SplitFieldsHeap() {
+      ComparisonTest("SplitFieldsHeap", new SplitFieldsHeap());
+    }
+
     [TestMethod]
     public void GeneralHeap() {
-      string dir = TestContext.DeploymentDirectory;
-      var fullPath = Path.Combine(dir, "RegressionTestInput.dll");
-      Stream resource = typeof(UnitTest0).Assembly.GetManifestResourceStream("TranslationTest.GeneralHeapInput.txt");
-      StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(resource);
-      string expected = reader.ReadToEnd();
-      var result = ExecuteTest(fullPath, new GeneralHeap());
-      if (result != expected) {
-        string resultFile = Path.GetFullPath("GeneralHeapOutput.txt");
-        File.WriteAllText(resultFile, result);
-        var msg = String.Format("Output didn't match: GeneralHeapInput.txt \"{0}\"", resultFile);
-        Assert.Fail(msg);
-      }
+      ComparisonTest("GeneralHeap", new GeneralHeap());
     }
 
   }