X-Git-Url: http://git.marmaro.de/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=test%2FREADME;h=1932cd7639eac2627d6816c69f70758b985735ab;hb=587e977a97865f091131355f6dd250ece99f7adb;hp=3d7d478b4b77948209e6484e1a87d2230d6565df;hpb=6106441685a38400d9aa94ccb7218218102f941c;p=mmh

diff --git a/test/README b/test/README
index 3d7d478..1932cd7 100644
--- a/test/README
+++ b/test/README
@@ -17,18 +17,68 @@ designed to work with Automake.  To run these tests you can do "make check"
 via the top-level Makefile.  This is also done automatically via
 "make distcheck".
 
-If you wish to write a new test, here are the steps:
+WARNING:  The test suite installs nmh and runs the tests on that test
+installation.  If you run tests individually, they will not remove
+that test installation or check to see if it remains up to date with
+your nmh workspace.  You can run test/clean after a test to remove the
+test installation.  "make check" will do that, so it is best to use
+it.
 
-- Make sure your test script sources common.sh (the location of this script
-  is in the MH_TEST_COMMON environment variable and calls the setup_test
-  shell function (the other scripts have examples of this).
+If you wish to write a new test script, here are the steps:
+
+- Make sure your test script sources $MH_OBJ_DIR/test/common.sh and
+  calls the setup_test shell function (the other scripts have examples
+  of this).
 
 - Your path will be set up to find the locations of the test nmh binaries.
 
 - Add your script to the TESTS variable in the toplevel Makefile.am.
+  By convention, test script names start with "test-", though that
+  is not a requirement.
 
 - If you need additional files for your tests, be sure to add them to
   the EXTRA_DIST variable in Makefile.am.  Note that you should insure
-  that you access these files relative to the ${srcdir} environment variable.
+  that you access these files relative to the $srcdir environment variable.
 
 - Verify that the test works with both "make check" and "make distcheck".
+
+Please use only Bourne shell and bare-bones POSIX program constructs
+in the test scripts.  In particular:
+
+- Use `` instead of $().
+
+- Wrap shell variables with "" if they could possibly contain
+  whitespace or special characters that would affect syntax.
+
+- Use the arith_eval() function in common.sh instead of $(()) or expr.
+  It detects at run time if $(()) is available.
+
+- Use grep >/dev/null instead of grep -q.
+
+- Don't use egrep, grep -E, fgrep, grep -F, or other non-portable grep
+  functionality.  The built-in case statement supports alternation (|).
+
+- Don't use ! to negate conditions.  Instead, use something like:
+    <condition> || <statement>
+  or
+    if <condition>; then :; else <statements> fi
+
+- Separate variable assignment from export (don't assign in export
+  statements).
+
+- Use sed >tmpfile and mv instead of sed -i.
+
+- Avoid depending on the exact format of output from system (non-nmh)
+  programs.
+
+The Heirloom Bourne Shell, http://heirloom.sourceforge.net/sh.html,
+catches many non-portable shell constructs, such as $(), $(()), !, and
+assignment in export statements.
+
+checkbashisms, available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/checkbaskisms/,
+might help some catch problems.  Though it misses all of the troublesome
+constructs, except for assignment in an export statement, listed above.
+
+The "Portable Shell" section of the Autoconf info manual has a wealth
+of tips for avoiding portability problems in shell scripts.  It might
+be available by entering:  info autoconf portable.