Re: [boost] Bug-fix volunteers: risks, downsides?

Subject: Re: [boost] Bug-fix volunteers: risks, downsides?
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-11-04 12:14:57

Jim Bell wrote:
> On 1:59 PM, Robert Ramey wrote:
>> Jim Bell wrote:
>>> On 1:59 PM, David Abrahams wrote:
>>>> At Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:16:37 -0500,
>>>> Jim Bell wrote:
>>>>> [...]
>>>>> Thanks! That does sound much easier. I didn't see that anywhere in
>>>>> the docs.
>>>> That's a cryin' shame.  Everyone seems to think they need to
>>>> generate HTML, etc. etc. in order to run the tests, when all you
>>>> need is bjam.
>>> [...]
>> Perfect time to insert a plug for my personal method.  To test a
>> specific library (e.g. serialization)
>>
>> a) cd to ../lib/serialization/test
>> b) ../../../tools/regression/src/library_test.sh (or
>> ..\..\..\library_test.bat)
>>
>> And you will be rewarded with and HTML table in the
>> ../libs/serialization/test directory
>> which has all your test results for all platforms and combinations.
>> Each time
>> you rerun the tests, the column is updated.  Each time you run tests
>> with a new set of attributes (compiler, os, variant, etc) you get a
>> new column added to the table.
>
> You know, I came across this not long ago, but it had a few problems
> too...
>
> * You have to manually (albeit trivially) hack
> tools/regression/build/Jamroot.jam to get library_status to build.

I think things got changed a little from my original submission in order
to deal with some other issues.  You might want to update the jamfile.

> * Doc discrepancy: output files are in the <compiler>/release dir, not
> dist/bin
> * Doc discrepancy: library_test.bat (and .sh) are in a different dir.

I don't remember making and documentation for it - but if there is
feel free to correct it or ask me to do it.

> * library_status was hanging or running away on an empty bjam.log
> (can't
> find this in my notes so I don't remember the exact symptoms--sorry!)

Hmmm - haven't seen this myself.

> * I was trying to use it with boost built with a different
> '--build-dir' argument (a directory outside boost's root), and it
> didn't play well. I looked at --locate-root but couldn't bridge the
> gap. (The '--echo'
> parameter was very helpful.)

I likely didn't test it with different scenarios that I use - so all bets 
are off.

> * Win32 seemed less supported than linux (though I can run bash under
> win32, many can't).

library_test.bat should work - though I don't use it.  It's a very simple
script if someone want's/needs to fix it.

I use it on win32 only.  I test using cygwin/gcc-4.3.4.  library_test.sh/bat
works under standard windows.

> So I decided it wasn't maintained.

Hmmm - I've been using it "forever" with little problem. Admitadly I
built it long ago but since it hasnt' bugged me - I just haven't touched it.

>
> And that bjam was, indeed, not meant to be run without help.
>
> I'd love to see this work for the view it gives, but I don't mind
> looking through a boost log either if I'm looking for a specific test
> result.

I notice that the table now builds with some extraneous columns now that
the the tests include some DLLS.  I could fix it but it easier to ignore 
than
to really fix.

Robert Ramey