[ruby-talk:04408] Re: RAA development ideas (was: RE: Lookin g for inp ut on a 'links' page)

> > Testing needs to be done, how this is done is another matter. 
> > Should there be peer review for submissions to the archive?
> > Should the author(s) provide evidence of testing?
> 
> I think it would be a good idea if every submission had it's own
> RubyUnit test suite associated with it. That way, you could test both
> the package _and_ its compatibility with your particular environment.

Yup, agreed. This was actually what I had in mind as a detail enabling easy
testing for the testers. I think we should recommend that every seriously
(or a little bit less seriously) released package should include
comprehensive testing.

Anyway, my mail was originally just a proposition for RAA development and
it's tester network. Basically these volunteering testers download the
package, build it, run accompanied tests and/or test on their own, and
report results. They might be volunteering namedly, or people could report
their particular situation randomly if they want. And probably they'd want,
as their contribution strengthens the community, which they're part
themselves and probably in need of help at some time.

BTW. the steps to "test a package" from downloading to reporting could
probably be done with the RAA interaction script like (said at prompt)

  > raa download, build, test and report Foobar version 1.4 or newest

Which would contact RAA server, find out all necessary information about
Foobar, download proper version, build it, run accompanied test suite, and
collect all results to ready to send chunk of information. The report might
be a file with properly formatted raport (XML?) waiting for tester overview
and approval before sending back to RAA server, or to appropriate mailing.

Notice friendly UI even at command prompt :).

Or the same command more compactly (as this is such a common task):

  > raa test_chore Foobar

> Of course some packages are harder to test this way than others, but

That's true. We won't have ever suites finding every possible bug, but
luckily that won't be the point of the thing. 

> At some point in the not-too-distant future I'll be releasing my
> first stab at unit tests for the Ruby 1.6 built-in classes and
> modules.

Which we all (at least me) are waiting eagerly.

	- Aleksi