Re: [RFA: and RFC:] run_dump_test in ld: extensions and globality of testsuite functions.

[Nick Clifton <nickc at cambridge dot redhat dot com>]

Hi Hans-Peter,

> I like run_dump_test.  I'd like to use it for ld tests,

An excellent idea.

> I've noticed a few different issues though.
> 
> - The ld tests are run relative from "ld" and stores test files in
>   "ld/tmpdir".  Gas tests are run relative from "gas/testsuite" and test
>   files are stored in that directory.  I guess we can add a testdir
>   argument and pass it to a run_dump_general, but it seems better to make
>   ld do like gas so they can more easily share common testsuite functions
>   without tweaks or parameters.  There's the gcc -B-reason to why ld does
>   that, but I believe the symlink could be in the ld/testsuite objdir,
>   i.e. "-B./" when tweaked.  Any reason to not do that?

Hmm, what if the target/remote OS does not support symlinks ?
Couldn't "-B../" be used instead ?


> - With the patch below, we'll have e.g. run_dump_test and regexp_diff in
>   gas/testsuite and another set in ld/testsuite.  They should be one and
>   the same, in some common place.  The question is, where?  Suggestion:
>   libiberty/testsuite/lib.

I like the idea of commoning up these functions.  How about
dejagnu/lib as the repository though ?

> - You'll notice that I had to add some global variables to
>   ld/testsuite/config/default.exp to avoid hacking up run_dump_test too
>   much.  I hope there's no problem associated with that; I could not think
>   of any.

I don't think so.

> Here's a patch, so there's the choice of adding this now and solve the
> issues noted above later.  (BTW, I now understand (two other meanings to)
> why it's called DejaGNU. :-)
> 
> So perhaps it's reasonable to ask:
> Ok to commit?

Approved.

Once it is in we can start experimenting with it and fixing the
problems that you mentioned.

Cheers
        Nick