On Fri, Nov 18, 2005 at 12:23:49PM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> (Note: sorry about my earlier header mixup. This thread is on the
> wrong list so I'm crossposting this reply to -project and -policy and
No prob, only note that I'm not subscribed to -policy, so please Cc:-me
on follow ups if you want me to read them.
> The need for this can be avoided by wrapping the actual test up with
> some test-runner script.
>
> I didn't want to make the _interface_ to the tests the kind of rich
> interface a test suite framework has, with arrangements for specifying
> expected behaviour, matching the output of programs against regexps,
> etc.
<snip>
> The interface should be as simple as we can make it while still being
> able to do the job. Remember that in it should be possible, and not
> wholly impractical, to reimplement the test runner.
Fair enough, le me just add a few observations:
1) if you want the testing framework to be used and widespread (as I
hope you want to) the test-runner script infrastructure must exists.
So please consider developing (and describing) it as well as part of
your efforts of involve someone interested in it
2) if the above mentioned interface is the one responsible for
specifying the actual test expectations then testing a single aspect
of the test (namely it exit status to be 0) is enough, no need to
test that stderr is empty
3) under the same assumptions of the previous point other aspects of
your stanzas may be simplified: tests-directory for example can be
removed and delegated to the test-runner script infrastructure. Even
"Tests:" can be seen as useless, just standardize a name for the only
script that will be executed.
IOW either you provide a rich test specification mechanism in your
stanzas or you simplify it toward a minimum and describe a test-runner
script infrastructure. I don't see the advancates of any intermediate
approach.
Cheers.
--
Stefano Zacchiroli -*- Computer Science PhD student @ Uny Bologna, Italy
zack@{cs.unibo.it,debian.org,bononia.it} -%- http://www.bononia.it/zack/
If there's any real truth it's that the entire multidimensional infinity
of the Universe is almost certainly being run by a bunch of maniacs. -!-
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