At 14:22 21/12/98 -0500, Fred L. Drake wrote:
John Skaller writes:
HOW do you know this works? HOW do you know that the method is not, in fact, present, but doesn't work? WHERE is the standards document that specifies the precise semantics of the 'os' interface??
Sounds like I'd better get the documentation for "os" fixed before I release again; it is on my list.
I don't think that is really my point. I'm interested in a STANDARD, not just good documentation. Saying what the library does is a useful hint. Like reading the code. It isn't the same as a specification; which _requires_ certain behaviour. The python _language_ document is written more like a specification. If the language doesn't do what the doco says, its a bug in the implementation (or a fault in the doco). Not an excuse from Guido that it doesn't work on that platform 'because'. I don't want an explanation why something doesn't work, I want an authoritative document that I can cite as evidence of a bug. In other words, relieve myself of the responsibility of fixing it or working around it. I've been shown that my interpretation of what Python does is wrong, by citation of the language specification. I want to be shown wrong about the library (when I am), the same way. [On testing things to see if they work]
This technique doesn't seem very reliable. :-(
How so?
Because it requires testing every single function in the whole system before using anything. Because there is no definitive specification of what might work or not. Do you see? And just _how_ do I test the functions? Using other functions that are themnselves suspect???
But this can be written on top of feature tests. Why not?
Sigh. Because there is no reliable way to test features. FOR EXAMPLE: consider the module 'commands'. How do I know if it works?? I do not see how to test it .. WITHOUT assuming it works. In fact, you can see by examining the code it will NOT work on NT. So interscript has it's own module called 'commands' that works on both posix and NT. I can't 'test' if it works, because it is one of the modules I need to test if tools such as patch and diff work. I have to rely on it working. ------------------------------------------------------- John Skaller email: skaller@maxtal.com.au http://www.maxtal.com.au/~skaller phone: 61-2-96600850 snail: 10/1 Toxteth Rd, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia