From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from sog-mx-4.v43.ch3.sourceforge.com ([172.29.43.194] helo=mx.sourceforge.net) by sfs-ml-1.v29.ch3.sourceforge.com with esmtp (Exim 4.76) (envelope-from ) id 1QnABX-0000Vc-Te for bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net; Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:06:35 +0000 X-ACL-Warn: Received: from mail-gy0-f175.google.com ([209.85.160.175]) by sog-mx-4.v43.ch3.sourceforge.com with esmtps (TLSv1:RC4-MD5:128) (Exim 4.76) id 1QnABW-0003VT-Kx for bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net; Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:06:35 +0000 Received: by gyd12 with SMTP id 12so3978424gyd.34 for ; Sat, 30 Jul 2011 07:06:29 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.150.12.5 with SMTP id 5mr446661ybl.395.1312034788925; Sat, 30 Jul 2011 07:06:28 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.150.138.1 with HTTP; Sat, 30 Jul 2011 07:06:28 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 07:06:28 -0700 Message-ID: From: Rick Wesson To: Mike Hearn Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Spam-Score: 0.3 (/) X-Spam-Report: Spam Filtering performed by mx.sourceforge.net. See http://spamassassin.org/tag/ for more details. 0.3 AWL AWL: From: address is in the auto white-list X-Headers-End: 1QnABW-0003VT-Kx Cc: Bitcoin Dev Subject: Re: [Bitcoin-development] Seeking advice: Encouraging bug-fixing over new features X-BeenThere: bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:06:36 -0000 +1 Putting a bounty on the test framework might put some loose change to work. http://code.google.com/p/googletest/ would be my choice the list of c++ frameworks is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unit_testing_frameworks#C.2B.2B -rick On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 4:49 AM, Mike Hearn wrote: > I've worked on open source projects for over 10 years now. This > dynamic always exists but I've never seen it seriously kill a project. > > Thoughts: > > =A0- People who start out with features often stick around and become > core contributors. > =A0- Unit tests are critical. > > Now there's a basic skeleton for unit tests, the bug debt can start to > be paid down by insisting that anyone who touches a piece of code > introduces tests, whether it be for new features or refactorings. > Insist patches won't be accepted without some new tests. In an > untested codebase, adding or improving tests often reveals other bugs > that then get fixed at the same time. > > People usually don't want to write tests if there's nothing there > already. So I'd suggest seeding the test suite with a small number of > simple tests for each part (wallet, net, db, etc). Once there are a > few tests already it's easier to get people to add more. It's tempting > to say, well, the wallet or re-org handling or whatever is the most > critical so we'll write lots of tests for that first and do the rest > later, but that's not as conducive to getting people to help. > > Most complex projects need some unit testing infrastructure to assist. > For instance, the ability to use mock network connections or minimal > difficulty chains. So if you build up that infrastructure and plant > those seeds, it'll be easier for other people to flesh it out. > > Final thought - big test suites take a long time to grow, especially > in codebases developed without them. A good start is a manually > written test plan, that just walks you through the apps features. > Insisting that a patch be signed off as passing the test plan is a > good way to avoid gigantic breakages like the wallet encryption bug > from cold start, at the cost of slowing down development (nobody likes > doing manual test work over and over). > > I don't always follow my own advice on this and usually end up > regretting it .... > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- > Got Input? =A0 Slashdot Needs You. > Take our quick survey online. =A0Come on, we don't ask for help often. > Plus, you'll get a chance to win $100 to spend on ThinkGeek. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/slashdot-survey > _______________________________________________ > Bitcoin-development mailing list > Bitcoin-development@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bitcoin-development >