[Module::Build] Re: META.yml feature for autotesters?

[Chris D. <ch...@cl...>]

[NOTE: I trimmed the CC list to just module-build-general, since my  
answer reflects only that system]

On Feb 24, 2006, at 2:51 PM, Tyler MacDonald wrote:

> 	I've been thinking about automated testing again. I know this is a
> bad habit and I should stop it and just get on with my work, but  
> here's
> where I'm at:
>
> 	Sometimes it's beneficial for an automated tester to install
> additional packages (in software I'm releasing, Test::CPANpm and  
> sqlite are
> perfect examples). It would be good to have a standard way to tell  
> a smoke
> tester what these packages are.
>
> 	How does everybody feel about making this a defined "feature" in
> the META.yml spec? Something like:
>
> optional_features:
>   - automated_testing:
>       description: Automated testing of all of this package's features
>       requires:
>         DBD::SQLite2: 0
>
> 	If an optional_feature field for packages useful for automated
> testing was standardized, functionality could be added to  
> CPAN::YACSmoke and
> PITA to take advantage of it, and then there would be an easy way  
> for an
> author to define prerequisites for doing an exhaustive smoke test  
> of their
> distribution.
>
> 	What do y'all think?

M::B briefly included a 'build_recommends' property that did about  
what you propose.  The idea was that people would put  
Test::Pod::Coverage and the like in that field.  It was removed in  
0.27_04 in favor of the more customizable prereq_action_types()  
feature.  That feature avoids the overwhelming combinatorics of  
{,build_,test_,install_}{requires,recommends,conflicts} etc. most of  
which were rarely used.

Here's the explanation from the Changelog:

    0.27_04  Fri Dec 23 10:43:34 CST 2005
     - Removed experimental feature that extended the prerequisite  
system
       to apply ('requires', 'recommends', and 'conflicts') prereqs  
to all
       actions. Most of the internal extensiblity has been retained so
       that prereq types can easily be added, more selectively.

The prereq_action_types feature seems to be undocumented, so I'll  
leave it to someone more experienced to explain the right way to add  
a build_recommends...

Chris
-- 
Chris Dolan, Software Developer, Clotho Advanced Media Inc.
608-294-7900, fax 294-7025, 1435 E Main St, Madison WI 53703
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