[OT] Google Summer of Code proposal.

Hi,

Three days ago, i have send this sketch proposal to the ruby-talk
mailing list, but i do not obtein to much feedback. I would like yours
technical and community opinions.

Its rspec the correct tool or maybe its better test::unit?
Its usefull for the community? (or why not?)
What must be "core" of ruby?
What do you think i must add to the proposal ?

Any other  opinion its really welcome.

Thanks

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 == Cover the core of Ruby with RSpec ==

 === Abstract ===

  There are a number of Ruby implementations available today. The
"standard" implementation is the original C-language-based
implementation, written by Yukihiro Matsumoto, and now maintained by
him and a number of contributors. In the last year, emerge different
Ruby Virtual Machine (VM), YARV, Rubinius, JRuby, Gardens Point Ruby
.NET, XRuby or cardinal are some good examples among others [1]. The
goal of this proposal is create a common set of specification (using
rspec) for the Ruby core, that verify the correct and same behavior of
the different virtual machines and implementation. I would like the
specs be usable for any virtual machine implementation or
implementation.

  The goal in writing a spec is to describe the expected behavior from
the objects. Each specification should describe one facet of the
behavior. Specs should prefer clarity and understanding over any other
principle.

  Test Driven Development (TDD) has you define the behavior of your
system by writing small tests that precisely define some small piece
of your system's behavior. Then you implement that behavior. Then you
clean up & improve your design.

 === Benefits to the Community ===

   The goal would be to have a single specification that different
ruby implementations can check against it. If the community have a
well defined and reusable specification to check against it.

 === The scheme  : ===

 * language is for specs that describe language-level constructs.
 * core is for specs for any of the built-in classes in Ruby. These
are documented at http://ruby-doc.org/core.

The ruby core set :

 * language : assignament, class, expression, method, operators,
variables. exception

 * core library : array, proc, bignum, hash, range, binding, integer,
regexp, class, io, signal, comparable, kernel , sprintf, marshal,
string,dir, matchdata, struct, enumerable, math, symbol, errno,
method, threadgroup, exception,  module, thread, false, nil, time,
file, numeric , true, objectspace, unboundmethod, fixnum, object,
float, process.

 * core/literals :numbers, string, block, hash, regexp, symbol

 === Development plan ===

 0) Before start the projects. Improve my skills reading the rspec
mailing list. Read specs code form  open source projects that already
use rspec.

 1) Identify/define the core in the Ruby implementation. And document
their behavior.
     - Discuss in each vm or implementation mailing list, what
primitives, structures and libraries must been in the core of ruby.
     - Discuss in the ruby-core mailing list the correct behavior.

 3) Write the rspec for language.

 4) Write specs for core/literals

 5) Write spec for the rest of the core.

 6) Write documentation.


Bibliography :

1 : http://headius.com/rubyspec/index.php/Ruby_Implementations

-- 
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Pedro Del Gallego

Email              :   [e-mail]