Re^4: Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough

So someone reports test failure in your module, it just says "not ok" or "Unknown error", and your solution is to close the bug, because someone else with more skills/experience will report it sooner or later. You're the one who wrote the failing test which doesn't hint at the problem, maybe you should write a better test.

Comment on Re^4: Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^5: Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough by Jenda (Abbot) on Jun 17, 2010 at 00:23 UTC
There's a huge difference between "Hey, your test number 47 failed." and "It doesn't work". Even if it's the first case, the reporter should be able to tell me, at least upon request, what version of Perl and what operating system he/she has. My test scripts tend to print some info about the environment at the beginning, but it's definitely not sensible to repeat that info with each and every failed test. So even "your test number 47 failed" is not a good report. "I tried to build your module and the tests failed, here's the test output ...". That's the one I want. On the other hand ... how often do you get a notification about your tests failing and how often do you get an email about some script (often not included) not working with your module? I was talking (mainly) about the later! Jenda Enoch was right! Enjoy the last years of Rome.	[reply]

Replies are listed 'Best First'.

Re^5: Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough
by Jenda (Abbot) on Jun 17, 2010 at 00:23 UTC

There's a huge difference between "Hey, your test number 47 failed." and "It doesn't work".

Even if it's the first case, the reporter should be able to tell me, at least upon request, what version of Perl and what operating system he/she has. My test scripts tend to print some info about the environment at the beginning, but it's definitely not sensible to repeat that info with each and every failed test. So even "your test number 47 failed" is not a good report. "I tried to build your module and the tests failed, here's the test output ...". That's the one I want. On the other hand ... how often do you get a notification about your tests failing and how often do you get an email about some script (often not included) not working with your module? I was talking (mainly) about the later!

Jenda
Enoch was right!
Enjoy the last years of Rome.

[reply]