Preprocessor conformance tests

From: Vesa Karvonen (vesa.karvonen_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-01-02 13:26:46

Currently the preprocessor library contains one special-case workaround for a
specific buggy preprocessor. Also the list data structure currently under
construction also contains a couple of workarounds for buggy preprocessors.
Many more preprocessor bugs have been discovered in various compilers. I
totally hate the idea of doing extra work to hide preprocessor bugs. It only
slows down the process of getting more compliant compilers.

Should preprocessor conformance tests be added to the preprocessor library
regression test suite? (Note:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boost/message/20604)

Alternatively, I'm considering the possibility of using
BOOST_NO[_COMPILER]_CONFIG to disable workarounds for buggy compilers (at
library author's discretion). Running the regression tests with a config for a
fully standards compliant compiler, the regression test suite could be used
for conformance testing and the results could be posted on the Boost site.
This would have the benefit that separate conformance tests would not be need,
but buggy compilers would still be visible.

On the other hand, concise conformance tests could also be very useful for
compiler vendors for regression testing, so it might be useful to have both
freely available.