Re: TAP test breakage on MacOS X

On 2014-10-30 19:30:04 -0400, Tom Lane wrote:
> 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.

I already have a couple more ready once this has stabilized...

I personally don't agree that they have no value at this point. At least
the pg_basebackup tests test paths that are not executed *at all*
otherwise and which are not trivial. To my knowledge it's the only thing
in our tests that exercises walsender and wal_level != minimal.

> 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.

Which would be what exactly?

> 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.

Agreed.

> 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.

Hm. I'm not convinced that that's the best way, but I'm not going fight
hard.

Greetings,

Andres Freund

--
Andres Freund http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
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