Re: select self-tests causes build failures under mingw

[Bruno Haible]

Simon Josefsson wrote:
> I think it may be simpler to simply avoid using gnulib --with-tests when
> importing multiple gnulib instances into one project.  It doesn't really
> seem to work reliably.

I agree with this conclusion, and add some documentation about it:

2008-11-18  Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>

        * doc/gnulib-tool.texi (Unit tests): New section.

*** doc/gnulib-tool.texi.orig   2008-11-18 12:01:35.000000000 +0100
--- doc/gnulib-tool.texi        2008-11-18 11:59:39.000000000 +0100
***************
*** 35,40 ****
--- 35,41 ----
  * gettextize and autopoint::    Caveat: @code{gettextize} and 
@code{autopoint} users!
  * Localization::                Handling Gnulib's own message translations.
  * VCS Issues::                  Integration with Version Control Systems.
+ * Unit tests::                  Bundling the unit tests of the Gnulib modules.
  @end menu
  
  
***************
*** 540,542 ****
--- 541,579 ----
  because they were missing.
  
  @end itemize
+ 
+ 
+ @node Unit tests
+ @section Bundling the unit tests of the Gnulib modules
+ 
+ You can bundle the unit tests of the Gnulib modules together with your
+ package, through the @samp{--with-tests} option.  Together with
+ @samp{--with-tests}, you also specify the directory for these tests
+ through the @samp{--tests-base} option.  Of course, you need to add this
+ directory to the @code{SUBDIRS} variable in the @code{Makefile.am} of
+ the parent directory.
+ 
+ The advantage of having the unit tests bundled is that when your program
+ has a problem on a particular platform, running the unit tests may help
+ determine quickly if the problem is on Gnulib's side or on your package's
+ side.  Also, it helps verifying Gnulib's portability, of course.
+ 
+ The unit tests will be compiled and run when the user runs @samp{make check}.
+ When the user runs only @samp{make}, the unit tests will not be compiled.
+ 
+ In the @code{SUBDIRS} variable, it is useful to put the Gnulib tests directory
+ after the directory containing the other tests, not before:
+ 
+ @smallexample
+ SUBDIRS = gnulib-lib src man tests gnulib-tests
+ @end smallexample
+ 
+ @noindent
+ This will ensure that on platforms where there are test failures in either
+ directory, users will see and report the failures from the tests of your
+ program.
+ 
+ Note: In packages which use more than one invocation of @code{gnulib-tool}
+ in the scope of the same @code{configure.ac}, you cannot use
+ @samp{--with-tests}.  You will have to use a separate @code{configure.ac}
+ in this case.