Re: [jamboost] Re: V1 test system questions

From: Vladimir Prus (ghost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-09-25 07:49:07

David Abrahams wrote:
> Vladimir Prus <ghost_at_[hidden]> writes:
> > I've some question about the way V1 regression system works (I'm just in
> > process of porting it to V2).
> >
> > 1. The 'run-test' rule contains the following:
> >
> > # Move important data from the test target to the executable
> > gRUN_LD_LIBRARY_PATH($(executable)) =
> > $(gRUN_LD_LIBRARY_PATH($(parent))) ; gRUN_PATH($(executable)) =
> > $(gRUN_PATH($(parent))) ;
> >
> > Who sets this data on 'parent'?
>
> Various things. If parent is a shared lib, it's the shared lib
> construction rules. You can also look for that variable use in
> python.jam. It's easy enough to find all the places with a grep-find.

Ok, I understand all this magic now.

> > 2. It seems like for "RUN" tests, the output is first sent to ".output"
> > file which is then copied to ".run". Why the extra copy is needed?
>
> I don't remember. Oh, yeah: it's because Jam deletes targets which
> fail to build, but we want to leave behind a copy of the output even
> if the run test reports an error.

Okay.

> You can learn alot about all this by looking at
> tools/build/test/testing-primitives/
>
> > 3. The 'capture-run-output' rule contains:
> >
> > INCLUDES $(target) : $(target:S=.output) ;
> >
> > First, I don't understand why this statement is needed.
>
> Me neither. Usually that's done to suppress a warning about
> independent targets, and I think the .output file isn't in the
> dependency graph otherwise.

Yep, seems like warning supression is the reason.

> > Second, while .output is in dependency graph, I don't see any
> > updating actions for it, or NOCARE statements for it. So, bjam
> > should complain that the target is not found. But, it does
> > not. Anybody knows why?
>
> because of INCLUDES, probably.

Actually, lack of complains is because of a typo.

Clean clean $(test-file:S=.output) ;

should have being

Clean clean : $(test-file:S=.output) ;

in which case bjam would be upset, because there will be no updating actions 
for .output.

> > 4. The ".test" file constains the name of sources. Why is this necessary?
>
> Beman wanted it at one point for the regression tools.

Hmm... I've managed to run most of tests declared in "status" with V2 code 
which does not output those names. Seems like it's not needed any more.

> > 5. The link and link-fail rules are not used in Boost testsuite. Are they
> > implemented for completeness only or they are used somewhere?
>
> They were used once upon a time, at least.

Ok.

Thanks for the help!

- Volodya