Re: [PATCH 1/6] configure: search generic compilers for use in the tests

[Stefano Lattarini]

Hi Peter.

On 01/23/2012 08:55 AM, Peter Rosin wrote:
> Stefano Lattarini skrev 2012-01-20 19:14:
>> I mean, the automake testsuite makes (or at least should make) only
>> two general assumptions about the compilers it uses:
>>
>>   - they can build executables
>>   - if $(build_alias) == $(host_alias), they can run those executables
>>
>> So the scenario you're depicting shouldn't be problematic (either that
>> or, more likely, I am still misunderstanding something).
> 
> It might be true that the testsuite is not making other assumptions (that
> happen to not hold).  I don't know.  But such assumptions very easily
> creep in even if they don't exist today, and I will probably be the one
> chasing the "problems".  And what is the point in going after the complete
> non-issues it likely will be when using MSVC from non-MSYS?
>
Fair point.  So I guess ...

>> *OR* it occurs to me that we could simply take a step back, and avoid all
>> the potential problems you are foreboding simply by avoiding looking for
>> cl.exe *at all*.  Instead, we will add proper advice in 'tests/README'
>> explaining how to run the testsuite on MinGW with MSVC as C/C++ compiler.
>> This way, we can assume the user will be knowledgeable and motivated
>> enough to avoid common misconfigurations; more importantly, we'll avoid
>> the risk of automatically producing such misconfigurations ourselves.
>>
>> WDYT?
>
... you agree with this proposal ...

> I think it would perhaps be best if MSVC is only considered if fed
> explicitly.  The number of users running the Automake testsuite on
> Cygwin or MSYS/MinGW is vanishingly small (that's my guess anyway),
> and the support for gcc has to have higher priority than for MSVC.
> Given the number of problems that tend to crop up when running the
> testsuite on fringe systems such as MSYS/MinGW, due to various corner
> cases, it would probably just be seen as an annoyance if MSVC is also
> thrown into the mix.
>
... and yes, you actually do.

> Anyway, if you still want to keep it, [SNIP]
>
No I don't.  I've tweaked the patches to remove references to MSVC and cl.exe
from code and comments alike.  If you want to add a section to 'tests/README'
explaining how to run the testsuite with MSVC, feel free to proceed.  If you
don't, that's fine as well.

Thanks for the helpful and patient reviews,
  Stefano