Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/2] test-lib.sh: Allow running the test suite against installed git

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:25:35 -0700

Michael J Gruber <[email-masked]> writes:

> Introduce variables externalpath and externalexecpath such that the test
> suite can be run against a git which is installed at $externalpath with
> subcommands at $externalexecpath. externalpath defaults to the git.git
> checkout, externalexecpath defaults to $externalpath. Run the suite as
>
> externalpath=somepath externalexecpath=someotherpath make test
>
> but note that this requires and uses parts of a compiled git in the
> git.git checkout: test helpers, templates and perl libraries are taken
> from there.

While I like the end result this series tries to achieve, may I suggest a
few things?

 - This is like GIT_SKIP_TESTS and GIT_TEST_HTTPD in that extra
   environments affect how the tests are run.  It would be much easier to
   use if the new environment variables are named similarly, prefixed with
   GIT_, in all caps, and with underscores between words.

 - When externalpath is given but not externalexecpath, you can deduce the
   latter from the former by running "$externalpath/git --exec-path",
   which makes running the tests against an installed git even easier.
   For example, I keep many git installations under $HOME/git-snap-vX.Y.Z,
   and it would be great if your patch allowed me to say something like:

    $ GIT_TEST_INSTALLED=$HOME/git-snap-v1.4.4.4/bin/git make test