[webkit-dev] Simplifying syntax in test_expectations.txt (bug 86691)

[Dirk Pranke]

On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 1:06 AM, Maciej Stachowiak <mjs at apple.com> wrote:
> What does the build configuration info do? Does it apply the line to only those configurations? If that is the case, it does seem potentially different in kind, though maybe also better expressed by being able to combine multiple test_expectations files fro different platform/ directories.
>

I am planning to add support for cascading files to NRWT shortly (it's
mostly there now, but I need to add some better diagnostics and
reimplement the code to actually use the logic), but I would not
suggest eliminating the build configuration in favor of multiple
files.

First, you can use build configurations to distinguish between debug
and release failures, which is very useful.

Second, if you are maintaining multiple platforms and actively trying
to keep the tree green, I think it is much easier to add one test with
multiple configurations to one file than to update the same test in
multiple files.

I think having multiple files makes sense for when expectations
actually cross organizational boundaries, e.g., we have a set of
failures that apply to all ports, and a set of failures that are
implementation specific (e.g., to all chromium ports, or a subset of
the qt ports). I think it makes sense to organize the files to
minimize merge conflicts, but at least in chromium's case, we don't
typically get merge conflicts from platform-specific failures, we get
them because people are adding test-specific failures.

-- Dirk