[Gcl-devel] Re: [Axiom-developer] Axiom January 2010 released

[Camm Maguire]

Greetings, and thanks!

Tim Daly <address@hidden> writes:

...

> At the very end of the build Axiom scans the regress files looking for
> any that fail.
> Some can fail due to the fact that the algorithm is random. Others
> fail for various
> reasons. I check these failure cases after every Axiom build.
>
> Any failures either get fixed in the next update or get added to the
> known bugs list.
>
> So, to answer your question, there are cases where the Axiom input
> fails intentionally
> and the failing output is captured. This way it is possible to test
> known bad inputs.
> The regression test system only cares that the answers are the same,
> it does not care
> that the Axiom input is a known, intentional failure.
>
> Thus, the regression test system can test both successful and failing
> input but will
> only complain if some output did not match the previous results.
>

Do I understand correctly, then, that as some failures are random, and
will therefore are expected to produce differences with previous
output, there is no way to really catch a case, say, where gcl is
blowing the algorithm on a new platform?  If so, a wishlist item would
be to add some flag that would indicate an expected stochastic
failure.  Then an autobuilder could be instructed to demand strict
compliance with some known output, or fail.

Take care,

> Tim
>
>
> Camm Maguire wrote:
>> Congratulations, Tim!
>>
>> Separate question -- I notice there are many regression failures in
>> the build log.  Do you have any mechanism to identify "expected"
>> failures?  Or is there any other automated way to ensure the
>> correctness of the build?  For example, with maxima, the autobuilder
>> is instructed to abort if there are any "unexpected" test suite
>> failures. 
>>
>> Take care,
>>
>> Tim Daly <address@hidden> writes:
>>
>>   
>>> The Axiom Version January 2010 has been released to
>>> the source code servers:
>>>
>>>  from github:      git clone git://github.com/daly/axiom.git
>>>  from savannah:    git clone address@hidden:/srv/git/axiom.git
>>>  from sourceforge: |git clone
>>> git://axiom.git.sourceforge.net/gitroot/axiom/axiom|
>>>
>>> (commit: 7aa4ca083d79f63bc46b0c21af41e9d79191f390)
>>>
>>> Binaries will become available as time permits at:
>>> http://axiom-developer.org/axiom-website/download.html
>>>
>>> Tim
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Axiom-developer mailing list
>>> address@hidden
>>> http://lists.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/axiom-developer
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     
>>
>>   
>
>
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>
>
>

-- 
Camm Maguire                                        address@hidden
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