Re: [PATCH 2/5] {test-protocols} parallel-tests: new recognized test result 'ERROR'

[Stefano Lattarini]

On Monday 18 July 2011, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> * Stefano Lattarini wrote on Fri, Jul 15, 2011 at 12:37:07AM CEST:
> > * lib/am/check.am ($(TEST_SUITE_LOG)): Recognize a new test result
> > `ERROR'.  Use it when encountering unreadable test logs (previously
> > a simple `FAIL' was used in this situations).
> > * lib/test-driver: Set the global test result to `ERROR' when the
> > test exit status is 99.  When doing colorized output, color `ERROR'
> > results in magenta.
> > * doc/automake.texi (Log files generation and test results
> > recording): Update by also listing `ERROR' among the list of valid
> > `:test-results:' arguments.
> > * NEWS: Update.
> > * tests/trivial-test-driver: Update.
> > * tests/parallel-tests.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/parallel-tests-harderror.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/parallel-tests-no-spurious-summary.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-global-log.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-recheck.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-custom-multitest-recheck.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-custom-multitest-recheck2.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-custom-multitest.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-custom-no-html.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/test-driver-end-test-results.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/color.test: Likewise.  Also, make stricter, and also test
> > from VPATH.
> > * tests/color2.test: Likewise, and improve syncing with color.test.
> > * tests/parallel-tests-exit-statuses.test: New test.
> > * tests/parallel-tests-console-output.test: Likewise.
> > * tests/Makefile.am (TESTS): Update.
> 
> > --- a/NEWS
> > +++ b/NEWS
> > @@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ New in 1.11a:
> >  
> >  * Changes to Automake-generated testsuite harnesses:
> >  
> > +  - The parallel-tests harness has a new test result 'ERROR', that can be
> > +    used to signal e.g., unexpected or internal errors, or failures to set
> > +    up test case scenarios.
> 
> The NEWS entry could be a bit more precise in that the ERROR state was
> actually used before already with exit status 99, just that it is named
> ERROR now.
>
What about this?

  - Test scripts that exit with status 99 to signal an "hard error" (e.g.,
    and unexpected or internal error, or a failure to set up the test case
    scenario) have their outcome reported as an 'ERROR' now.  Previous
    versions of automake reported such an outcome as a 'FAIL' (the only
    difference with normal failures being that hard errors were counted
    as failures even when the test originating them was listed in
    XFAIL_TESTS).
 
> (Please check whether the semantics of 99 already were in a stable release,
>
Well, an exit status of `99' has been triggering an hard error since at
least automake 1.11 (assuming `parallel-tests' was in use).  Is this what
you were asking, or have I misunderstood?

> otherwise this NEWS entry could of course advertise it
> as new.)
> 

> A description of ERROR semantics needs to be part of automake.texi as
> well.
>
Doing that properly will require a small reorganization of the "Support
for test suites" chapter, so I'd rather do that in a follow-up patch
(which I will start working on shortly).

> Also, are you going to followup with Autoconf to rename Autotest's hard
> failure state ERROR as well?  We should agree on common naming and
> semantics, so the two systems are not harder to learn than necessary.
>
Good idea, consistency is always nice.

> I'm OK with this change once these issues are resolved.
> 
> As a minor detail however, please remove the '====' greps, I've already
> mentioned why I consider '=' in the output not a good idea.
>
But those greps are there to ensure that the testsuite summary is not
unduly colorized; and since the summary at this point is still looks
like:

  ====================================================
  All 2 tests behaved as expected (1 expected failure)
  ====================================================

those grepping checks have to stay IMNSHO.

> Thanks,
> Ralf
> 
Regards,
  Stefano