Re: TAP test breakage on MacOS X

Jim Nasby <Jim(dot)Nasby(at)BlueTreble(dot)com> writes:
> If our policy is that tests are there primarily for developers then I agree with you.

> If not, then would we be OK with make check being a no-op unless you'd configured with --enable-make-check?

> Making this something you have to enable will seriously limit the number of people running the TAP tests, simply because few will know to enable them.

Well, TBH I have no problem with that at the moment, because as Robert has
pointed out the current TAP tests are of close to zero value. The odds
that they'll find anything in the hands of Joe Random User are far lower
than the odds that they'll break Joe's build.

At some point down the road that value judgement might (hopefully will)
reverse, and then we could deal with it by making --enable-tap-tests the
default. But even then there would be a place for --disable-tap-tests.
The current situation, where the only way to disable the TAP tests is to
not do make check-world, is utterly unacceptable given their low present
usefulness and lack of proven portability.

I opined before that we should rip those tests out of the 9.4 branch
altogether. I'm willing to leave them there if we have an --enable
switch controlling them, though.

regards, tom lane