Test-Simple: Call for End-User Testing

Test::Builder, the library that coordinates most other Test:: libraries' output, has been overhauled. The new version, currently in beta testing, should be a drop-in replacement. We want everybody to try testing all their code, both published and proprietary, to bring to light any last remaining surprises.

How to Test the New Test-Simple

Test::Builder is part of the Test-Simple distribution. All you have to do to test it is:

• install the new trial release of the Test-Simple distribution
• test all the things!!
• uninstall it when you're done (or don't!)

Test-Simple is just like any other dist, so you can install it just like any other dist. There's just one caveat: you really want to see the output from its test suite.

About fifteen libraries in Test:: have older versions that don't work with the new Test::Builder. There's a test in Test-Simple that runs last and will print out a list of any of those that are installed. If you see one listed, you should upgrade! (Why is it that some things got broken and we wanted to fix them and not Test::Builder? See more below.)

Installing with cpanm

cpanm -v --dev Test::Builder

That's it. --dev gets cpanm to find the latest dev release. -v makes it print the test results to your screen.

Installing with cpan

cpan EXODIST/Test-Simple-1.301001_108.tar.gz

By default, CPAN.pm will print out test results, so you're good!

What do I do once it's installed?

Test all your stuff! Test your personal libraries, your weird hacks you have sitting around. All that stuff, just test it. Better, test all the weird stuff you have at work, too.

In the (hopefully unlikely) event that you find something different between the two versions, let us know! Go to the Test::Builder bugtracker and see whether the problem's already listed. If not, file a new issue!

Keep in mind that a very very few things are not supported going forward. If you want to read about them, or see how you might be able to fix things on your own, you can read the Test::Stream::Transition document. If you don't want to read it, you can just submit an issue. We'll give it a look and give you a diagnosis.

If everything goes okay, consider letting us know, too. Just leave a comment to that effect on the everything is okay issue.

If you don't have a GitHub account, and don't want to make one, you can email EXODIST, the current maintainer.

Uninstalling

We'd like to think that you won't need to uninstall the dev release. If you find a bug, though, you'll want to. You also just might not like having weird dev versions installed on your machine. That's legit.

All you have to do is install the stable version! That's either:

cpanm --reinstall Test::Builder

…or…

cpan EXODIST/Test-Simple-1.001014.tar.gz

You Can Stop Reading Here…

So, that's all we want from you. If you're interested in knowing what's new, why things were done, and how you will benefit, you can read all about it.