Re: [PATCH] {maint} maintcheck: look for problematic names of testcases

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hi Stefano,

* Stefano Lattarini wrote on Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 12:51:29PM CET:
>  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake-patches/2011-03/msg00012.html>

> On Friday 04 March 2011, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> > On Friday 04 March 2011, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> > > * Stefano Lattarini wrote on Fri, Mar 04, 2011 at 09:52:25AM CET:
> > > > * tests/comments-in-var-defn.test: The configure.in stub created
> > > > by default, which has the AC_INIT first argument obtained by the
> > > > test name, causes autoconf 2.62 to fail with a spurious error
> > > > message like: "configure.in:1: error: defn: undefined macro:".
> > > > Thus, to prevent this, the test is renamed to ...
[...]

> Subject: [PATCH] maintcheck: look for problematic names of testcases
> 
> The configure.in stub created by default by `tests/defs' obtains
> the first argument of AC_INIT from the test name, and this can
> cause some supported autoconf versions to fail with a spurious
> error if that test name contains the name of an m4 builtin (e.g.,
> `defn' or `undefine').
> 
> See for example the bug fixed by commit v1.11-287-g1325a8a.
> 
> This change add a maintainer check that warns about test names
> which are possibly problematic in this regard.

Wouldn't it be easier to just require a fixed Autoconf version?
Alternatively, if we can't do that: wouldn't it be more robust
to let the defs.in machinery rename problematic names on the fly?

It's nicer to avoid bugs than having to work around them.

Thanks,
Ralf

> * Makefile.am (sc_test_names): New maintainer-check target.
> (syntax_check_rules): Add it.
> (m4_builtins): New helper variable.
> (TESTS): Updated according to the following renamings.
> * tests/include.test: Renamed ...
> * tests/hdr-vars-defined-once.test: ... to this.
> * tests/sinclude.test: Renamed ...
> * tests/m4-inclusion.test: ... to this, and simplified
> accordingly.
> * tests/include2.test: Renamed ...
> * tests/dist-included-parent-dir.test: ... to this, for
> consistency.