Public SourceMage Discussion List

[flux <flux AT sourcemage.org>]

Andraž 'ruskie' Levstik (ruskie AT codemages.net) wrote [09.10.01 08:34]:
> > I'm all for having proper unit tests myself, but let's not get too
> > carried away with where we apply our efforts. A unit test that ensures a
> > config query actually results in applying the user's choice is something
> > we can do. A unit test that guarantees there are no memory leaks or
> > segfaulting operations in a final product is not something that should
> > be our goal as a distro.
> 
> You're thinking in the wrong direction. We don't care about specific
> memleaks/segfaults etc... We just care that the app should do what it
> says on the tin.

That is exactly what I'm talking about. The memleaks and segfaults were
just examples. Making sure a program does what it claims is the
responsibility of those writing the program. Our unit tests should
ensure that when a user is asked if they want feature X and the user
answers no, that feature X had better be disabled in the spell being
built. That's our responsibility.

Making all the programs work together is also something that should
happen, but in my opinion not to the extent that we should be devoting
our time to writing unit tests which ensure precisely that. Upstream
should be doing this. We are the end-users of those build products, not
the developers of them. The users of our distro are the end-users of the
built (packaged) product, which we develop.

-- 
Justin "flux_control" Boffemmyer
Cauldron wizard and general mage
Source Mage GNU/Linux
http://www.sourcemage.org

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