Re: Re: How you can help

[Richard Riley <rileyrgdev@googlemail.com>]

"Avdi Grimm" <avdi@avdi.org> writes:

> On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 11:49 AM, Richard Riley
> <rileyrgdev@googlemail.com> wrote:
>> The nature of OSS means that the community using the product keep it
>> stable and bug free. I dont think the efforts to produce meaningful
>> regression tests would be beneficial in an ever morphing product like
>> org-mode. Clearly my humble opinion on that one :-;
>
>
> I don't know of a single open-source project with more than one or two
> developers which doesn't have a suite of regression tests.  In fact, I
> know of a number of OSS projects which *will not* accept a patch
> unless tests accompany it.  Once a codebase grows beyond a one-person
> pet project, tests become increasingly necessary for maintainability.

Then I have to disagree. There are many OSS projects with no regression
tests. Is this a good thing? Not necessarily. But the nature of emacs,
elisp and the customization features make it, for me, a slightly
different kettle of fish. In fact the nature of this thread and the
nature of most emacs customizations suggests to me that the regression
tests are merely using the SW and seeing if it works as expected - not
an automated process. This is the important piece : automated regression
tests. Regression testing as in "run it and see if it works" is fine -
automated ones are, well, another issue. Lets see how this pans out. Be
sure I am not against testing, regression testing etc, I am merely
suggesting that automated tests are possibly less effective than a
proper beta release to users which is currently provided.



-- 
Do you realize if it weren't for Edison we'd be watching TV by candlelight?  ~Al Boliska