Re: [Tcl-soc2008] Updating Tk test suite : project status update

[Ania P. <ani...@gm...>]

UPDATING TK TEST SUITE
PROJECT STATUS UPDATE
Anna Pawelczyk
mentored by Jeff Hobbs


-----------------------------------------ABSTRACT-----------------------------------------
The Tk test system still uses primarily Tcltest v1, and would benefit
from an update to Tcltest v2 and a full reexamination of out-dated tests.
The test suite should gain independence from the system's settings that
test is made on. This all leads to improvement of testing capabilities.


----------------------------------STATUS
UPDATE------------------------------------
Updating Tk test suite required some foregoing preparations and
acquaintances. According to that, my work on the project could be divided
into
2 main stages

I tried to work regularly and make up the delay caused by my exams.
I scheduled my work and the hours calculations are done according to
the work report that I conducted on
http://www.assembla.com/wiki/show/TkTests/Work_report


--------------------------------STAGE 1
2008-06-27   -   2008-07-05
During the first stage, I spent 75 hours on the project.

In the beginning I had to specify general requirements of the project.
I went through already updated Tcl tests, compared them to Tk tests.
I conducted tests on different platforms, compared the results,
searched for the reasons of failures in tests files, Tcl sources and also
C sources.

That all also involved familiarizing with Tcl and Tcltests themselves,
as the language was new for me. Therefore before 06-27 I spent time
on learning the language, skimming the Tcl code, digging wiki pages,
reading man pages and learning from "Practical Programming
in Tcl and Tk", Brent B. Welch.

To better specify my goals, I set up a thread on Tcl-core:
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Mail/Message/Tcl-core/3645438

Also, in the begining I conducted a wiki page, where I was putting my first
notices, ideas:
http://www.assembla.com/flows/flow/a_KwcurkGr3ztnab7jnrAJ


>>>Effects:
> This stage resulted in clearly specifying my main goal which is to
"bring Tk tests to Tcltest 2.0 syntax, improve clarity, separate tests,
eliminate wrong assumtions, dependences among test cases,  etc.
and try eliminate situations when the test fails because there were made
wrong assumptions"  and on which I focused in the next stage.

> I have identified and fixed a lack of setting -highlightthickness entry's
option
in constraints.Tcl


--------------------------------STAGE 2
2008-07-06   -   2008-08-18
During the second stage, I spent about 310 hours on the project,

During this period of time, I focused on bringing Tk tests to Tcltest 2.0
syntax,
improving clarity, separating tests, eliminating wrong assumptions,
dependences among test cases,  etc.

The time I had to spend on successive test was decreasing while I was
gaining
experience. I also tried to optimize my work by writing script - helpers.
I spent most of the time on analysing single test cases that were dependent
on the others, that failed on some environments, that had extraordinary
structure etc.


>>>Effects:
The result of my work is commited to Tktoolkit's cvs repository.
The files that I managed to update are:

bgerror.test  bind.test  bitmap.test  border.test  button.test  canvas.test

canvImg.test  canvPs.test  canvRect.test  canvText.test  canvWind.test
choosedir.test  clipboard.test  clrpick.test  cmds.test  config.test
cursor.test
dialog.test  embed.test  entry.test  event.test  focus.test  focusTcl.test
font.test
frame.test   geometry.test   get.test  grab.test  grid.test    id.test
image.test
imgBmap.test  imgPhoto.test  imgPPM.test  listbox.test   main.test
menu.test
menubut.test message.test  obj.test  raise.test  safe.test  spinbox.test
text.test
tk.test unixButton.test  unixEmbed.test  util.test  winClipboard.test

Which is 52400 lines of code.


--------------------------------COMMITMENT-----------------------------------
Due to my exams, the project had a late start and will be conducted
up to 01-09.


-------------------PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS----------------------------
The project was an opportunity to join Tcl Community as well as
OpenSource Community.

I made some steps to learn new language - first steps to got
to know Tcl/Tk
I learned about the structure of tests, the usage of test suite.

I've gone through certain amount of code, learning how to
read the sources and search in the sources.

And above all I gained huge experience, learned how to conduct a serious
project,
work remotely, obtain and exchange information with the Community,
work using repository.


Anna Pawelczyk