Re: How to deal with test data in ouf of source tree builds?

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Thu, 15 Jun 2017, Nick Bowler wrote:
> I suggest eliminating the dependency on the working directory completely.
>
> For example, you can pass the location of necessary data files to the
> test programs via environment variable(s) or command-line arguments.  If
> all your data files are in one place this might be something simple like:
>
>  UNBOUND_TEST_DATA=${srcdir}/testdata ./the_test_program
>
> and the test program can construct filenames based on that environment
> variable.

Environment variables are convenient.  Command line arguments to the 
test program are also convenient.  If the test program is also the 
installed program, take care that security or reliability issues are 
not introduced due to responding to environment variables.

Microsoft Windows has very limited command line plus environment space 
(come out of same allocation) so take care not to use so much 
resources that it is not possible to run the tests under Windows (if 
Windows is supported).

Bob
--
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/