Re: Comments on Mathias blog post about contributing

On 09/23/09 11:17, Frank Schoenheit, Sun Microsystems Germany wrote:
> Hi Stephan,
> 
>> I think this point is moot.  I strongly believe that tests that are  
>> regularly run on all CWS must also be run on the MWS, and the MWS must  
>> not be declared ready until all those test succeed.
> 
> I believe that, too, but it's theory only. Pretty similar to the theory
> that of course no release should have bugs which the previous release
> hadn't. But in reality, you will always need to sacrifice those rules -
> both of them - to higher needs. If you fix an important, urgent,
> serious, data-killing bug, and notice "too late" (by whatever
> definition, not only because you ran the tests too late) that you broke
> something else, then you might decide that it's "worth it". Here,
> automatic tests are in no way different from manual tests.

But such activity should be the rare exception (otherwise, you are 
doomed, anyway), where you can most probably take care of the 
consequences (like broken tests) on a case-by-case basis.  So, we should 
be able to bring theory and practice together reasonably close...

-Stephan