Re: New Linux 4word

On Sat, 9 Apr 2005, Albert van der Horst wrote:

>> I don't know what is meant by a "test suite", or how that
>> would be a signifigant "milestone".
>
> Do you really not know what a test suite is?

When I wrote this, I didn't know what you intended by a "test suite", 
and had no rationale from you as to why this would be an acomplishment. In 
all my programming I've never written such a thing as a test suite, I 
think it legitimate to ask this. In c.l.f, you bring up my  message, to 
say that you "got flamed for bringing up the test suite subject in the 
colorforth mailing list." What purpose does this serve other than to 
tarnish the reputation of this list?

Apparently Jeff Fox did not think you went far enough and added in 
response that "the colorforth mailing list has been very ugly for a 
while". I don't know what Jeff Fox thought was so ugly about by message, 
or what he thinks is so ugly about this list. Despite some bouts of 
conflict I would say this list is quite refreshing from other forums of 
dicussion.

> A test suite -- translated to our context -- is a comprehensive set of
> tests for each word, that allows to decide whether and how it
> deviates from a fixed functionality, in this case probably the above
> glossary. This greatly helps to check whether after a modification
> you have not destroyed functionality, or whether the changes are
> like you intended. It can be used as a regression test.
>
> I don't expect anybody to be willing to work on this, but
> I think it is silly to renounce it usefulness.

No one has renounced the usefulness of a test suite, and in fact this 
would be impossible in this context as no actual proposal has been made.

Mark