Re: Timeout implementation fot WIN32 for Boost Test Library

From: rogeeff (rogeeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-12-20 12:30:31

--- In boost_at_y..., Beman Dawes <bdawes_at_a...> wrote:
> At 04:05 AM 12/19/2001, rogeeff wrote:
> 
>  >Hi,
>  >
>  >After considering several possible solutions for implementing
>  >function timeout in WIN32 platform. it seems that there is no
>  >reliable solution based on async. canselation. Here what I 
propose:
>  >
>  >1. As usual we need Timer thread. It could be new thread started
>  >every time we need to run test case with timeout. It could be 
current
>  >thread while test case run in new one. It could be permanent 
thread
>  >responsible for timeouts.
>  >2. Implementation will assume *synchronous* cancelation. This mean
>  >that when timeout occured Timer thread will set some 'timeout 
flag'
>  >which will be checked with every access to the framework. Now the
>  >user responcibility is to make sure that test case accessing
>  >framework frequently enough.
> 
> A typical reason for a timeout is that a test case is looping.  
Given that 
> Boost (and others) often are dealing with testing libraries, the 
loop is 
> often deep inside some library component.  How can we "make sure 
that test 
> case [is] accessing [the] framework frequently enough"?
> 
> Or am I misunderstanding something?

You are right. I perfectly understand that in most cases it will be 
difficult to expect a looping inside a test case. But it could be. In 
all the other cases we will get a fatal error. At an expense of a 
more complex solution I can provide an option for the user to allow 
the async. cancelation. But in this case the user is responsable for 
consequences.

> 
>  >3. Timer thread will set internal timeout in, let say, 1 second 
while
>  >it will wait for current test case to complete. If timeout will
>  >occured. we consider this as a fatal error and abort testing.
> 
> --Beman

Gennadiy.