Re: [boost] How to make tests building faster?

Subject: Re: [boost] How to make tests building faster?
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-12-20 11:47:28

Dave Abrahams wrote:
> on Tue Dec 20 2011, Mateusz Loskot <mateusz-AT-loskot.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm trying to figure out if there is anything I could do to improve
>> compile/link-time for tests of Boost.Geometry library.
>> Currently, the tests follow fairly canonical approach in Boost:
>>
>> 1) Each .cpp file defines a single test program and all local test
>>     routines are executed from test_main()
>
> That's your problem right there.  The canonical organization is
> unfriendly to fast test times and I would not use it for my next
> library.  It's better to put more tests together in the same
> executable, and more in the same translation unit.

Hmmm - I wouldn't be crazy about this idea.  The test
matrix reports pass/fail often with little other information
so putting a lot of tests in to the same executable will lose
information.  In general I like the idea of compilation / test.

I would think that longer term the approach would be
to permit the the tests to run simultaneously on a multi-core
system.

Another idea would be to make better usage of pre-compiled
headers. These are supported by both gcc and msvc.  Again
would require non-trivial changes in build/test infrastructure.

Robert Ramey