Re: [HACKERS] Inadequate traces in TAP tests

Alvaro,

* Alvaro Herrera (alvherre@2ndquadrant.com) wrote:
> Stephen Frost wrote:
> > * Andrew Dunstan (andrew.dunstan@2ndquadrant.com) wrote:
> > > ISTM that the test setup and breakdown code, both in individual tests
> > > and in PostgresNode.pm  should be liberally sprinkled with diag() calls
> > > to make it easier to narrow down errors..
> >
> > While I'm generally in favor of adding diag() info into the testing for
> > when things go wrong, what I don't want to do is increase the amount of
> > output that these tests produce without good cause.  I really wish there
> > was a "quiet" mode for the TAP tests which didn't report anything when
> > things are 'ok'.
>
> That's diag's idea; you use it like
> "ok() or diag('failed because of snow')".
> so nothing is printed unless there is a problem.  You're not supposed to
> call it unconditionally.

That seems reasonable then.

> Something that would probably be helpful would be to put the server log
> lines corresponding to the failure in diag(); for example we could keep
> the log file open, do a seek(SEEK_END) just before running the test, and
> reading from that point onwards; probably stop reading after 5 lines or
> so.  They wouldn't be output unless there is a failure.  (Of course,
> this'd have to be done in the harness, not the test itself, to avoid
> cluttering already ugly individual test files.)

Agreed, this should be in the harness.

Is there any hope of getting a "quiet" mode, where all the "ok" lines
aren't printed when things work..?

Thanks!

Stephen