Request for a "pkg test" feature [was: Removing packages from Octave Forge]

[Julien Bect]

On 10/01/2014 17:01, Alexander Barth wrote:

Even outside of Debian, we don't need new syntax or new conventions for
running package tests. Please, please, do not start committing test
scripts to package repositories. Just write %!test blocks for your
functions and use Octave's runtests command. If anything, maybe file a
wishlist bug for a "pkg test" command that is just a thin wrapper around
runtests.

Thank you for pointing runtests out. I was not aware of this script and it would be indeed sufficient in my opinion to test the well functioning of a package. The "pkg test" command would be a convenient way for the user to test the package.

I don't think that "runtests" itself is sufficient, because the m-files of one package are sometimes spread in several directories. Think for instance of packages that contain classes, such as the dataframe package.

But, as Mike previously said, perhaps a thin wrapper around runtests would be enough.

I have posted a feature request here (is it the proper place ?) :
https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/index.php?41215

@++
Julien