[bison.git] / HACKING

-*- outline -*-

This file attempts to describe the rules to use when hacking Bison.
Don't put this file into the distribution.  Don't mention it in the
ChangeLog.

* Administrivia

** If you incorporate a change from somebody on the net:
First, if it is a large change, you must make sure they have signed
the appropriate paperwork.  Second, be sure to add their name and
email address to THANKS.

** If a change fixes a test, mention the test in the ChangeLog entry.

** Bug reports
If somebody reports a new bug, mention his name in the ChangeLog entry
and in the test case you write.  Put him into THANKS.

The correct response to most actual bugs is to write a new test case
which demonstrates the bug.  Then fix the bug, re-run the test suite,
and check everything in.

* Hacking

** Visible changes
Which include serious bug fixes, must be mentioned in NEWS.

** Translations
Only user visible strings are to be translated: error messages, bits
of the .output file etc.  This excludes impossible error messages
(comparable to assert/abort), and all the --trace output which is
meant for the maintainers only.


* Test suite

** make check
Use liberally.

** Release checks
Try to run the test suite with more severe conditions before a
release:

- Configure the package with --enable-gcc-warnings, so that one checks
  that 1. Bison compiles cleanly, 2. the parsers it produces compile
  cleanly too.

- Change tests/bison to run `valgrind -q bison' to run Bison under
  Valgrind.

- Run the test suite with `./testsuite PREPARSER='valgrind -q' to make
  sure the parser behave properly.

- Change tests/atlocal/CFLAGS to add your preferred options.  For
  instance, `-traditional' to check that the parsers are K&R.  Note
  that it does not make sense for glr.c, which should be ANSI,
  but currently is actually GNU C, nor for lalr1.cc, which anyway is
  not exercised yet in the test suite.

- Change tests/atlocal/CC to use a C++ compiler.


* Release Procedure

** Tests
See above.

** Update the foreign files
Running `make update' in the top level should make it all for you.
This covers PO files too.  Beware that it happens that some PO files
contain serious problems and are rejected by recent Gettext releases:
fix them all, and complain to the Translation Project!

Note that there might be *new* PO files.  Don't forget to update the
whole machinery, which not only includes LINGUAS, but `cvs add'ing the
PO files too.

** Update NEWS
The version number, *and* the date of the release (including for
betas).

** Update ChangeLog
Should have an entry similar to `Version 1.49b.'.
Check all this in once `make distcheck' passes.

** make alpha
Running `make alpha' is absolutely perfect for beta releases: it makes
the tarballs, the xdeltas, and prepares (in /tmp/) a proto
announcement.  It is so neat, that that's what I use anyway for
genuine releases, but adjusting things by hand (e.g., the urls in the
announcement file, the ChangeLog which is not needed etc.).

If it fails, you're on your own...

It requires GNU Make.

** Upload
Put the tarballs/xdeltas where they should be.  Or put it somewhere,
and send the URL to ftp-upload@gnu.org.

** Bump the version number
In configure.ac.  Run `make', check this in.

** Announce
Complete/fix the announcement file, and send it at least to
info@gnu.org (if a real release, or a ``serious beta''),
bison@gnu.org, and translation@iro.umontreal.ca.


-----

Copyright (C) 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This file is part of GNU Bison.

GNU Bison is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
any later version.

GNU Bison is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with GNU Bison; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
02111-1307, USA.
Commit	Line	Data
2ed0e35f AD	1	-- outline --
	2
	3	This file attempts to describe the rules to use when hacking Bison.
	4	Don't put this file into the distribution. Don't mention it in the
	5	ChangeLog.
	6
	7	* Administrivia
	8
	9	** If you incorporate a change from somebody on the net:
	10	First, if it is a large change, you must make sure they have signed
	11	the appropriate paperwork. Second, be sure to add their name and
	12	email address to THANKS.
	13
	14	** If a change fixes a test, mention the test in the ChangeLog entry.
	15
	16	** Bug reports
	17	If somebody reports a new bug, mention his name in the ChangeLog entry
	18	and in the test case you write. Put him into THANKS.
	19
	20	The correct response to most actual bugs is to write a new test case
	21	which demonstrates the bug. Then fix the bug, re-run the test suite,
	22	and check everything in.
	23
427c0dda AD	24	* Hacking
427c0dda AD	25
2ed0e35f AD	26	** Visible changes
2ed0e35f AD	27	Which include serious bug fixes, must be mentioned in NEWS.
427c0dda AD	28
	29	** Translations
	30	Only user visible strings are to be translated: error messages, bits
	31	of the .output file etc. This excludes impossible error messages
	32	(comparable to assert/abort), and all the --trace output which is
	33	meant for the maintainers only.
2ed0e35f AD	34
	35
	36	* Test suite
	37
	38	** make check
	39	Use liberally.
	40
	41	** Release checks
	42	Try to run the test suite with more severe conditions before a
	43	release:
	44
	45	- Configure the package with --enable-gcc-warnings, so that one checks
	46	that 1. Bison compiles cleanly, 2. the parsers it produces compile
	47	cleanly too.
	48
	49	- Change tests/bison to run `valgrind -q bison' to run Bison under
	50	Valgrind.
	51
	52	- Run the test suite with `./testsuite PREPARSER='valgrind -q' to make
	53	sure the parser behave properly.
	54
	55	- Change tests/atlocal/CFLAGS to add your preferred options. For
	56	instance, `-traditional' to check that the parsers are K&R. Note
	57	that it does not make sense for glr.c, which should be ANSI,
	58	but currently is actually GNU C, nor for lalr1.cc, which anyway is
	59	not exercised yet in the test suite.
	60
	61	- Change tests/atlocal/CC to use a C++ compiler.
	62
	63
	64	* Release Procedure
	65
	66	** Tests
	67	See above.
	68
	69	** Update the foreign files
	70	Running `make update' in the top level should make it all for you.
	71	This covers PO files too. Beware that it happens that some PO files
	72	contain serious problems and are rejected by recent Gettext releases:
	73	fix them all, and complain to the Translation Project!
	74
	75	Note that there might be new PO files. Don't forget to update the
	76	whole machinery, which not only includes LINGUAS, but `cvs add'ing the
	77	PO files too.
	78
	79	** Update NEWS
	80	The version number, and the date of the release (including for
	81	betas).
	82
	83	** Update ChangeLog
	84	Should have an entry similar to `Version 1.49b.'.
	85	Check all this in once `make distcheck' passes.
	86
	87	** make alpha
	88	Running `make alpha' is absolutely perfect for beta releases: it makes
	89	the tarballs, the xdeltas, and prepares (in /tmp/) a proto
	90	announcement. It is so neat, that that's what I use anyway for
	91	genuine releases, but adjusting things by hand (e.g., the urls in the
	92	announcement file, the ChangeLog which is not needed etc.).
	93
	94	If it fails, you're on your own...
	95
	96	It requires GNU Make.
	97
98	** Upload
99	Put the tarballs/xdeltas where they should be. Or put it somewhere,
100	and send the URL to ftp-upload@gnu.org.
101
102	** Bump the version number
103	In configure.ac. Run `make', check this in.
104
105	** Announce
106	Complete/fix the announcement file, and send it at least to
107	info@gnu.org (if a real release, or a ``serious beta''),
108	bison@gnu.org, and translation@iro.umontreal.ca.
109
110
111	-----
112
113	Copyright (C) 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
114
115	This file is part of GNU Bison.
116
117	GNU Bison is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
118	it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
119	the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
120	any later version.
121
122	GNU Bison is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
123	but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
124	MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
125	GNU General Public License for more details.
126
127	You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
128	along with GNU Bison; see the file COPYING. If not, write to the Free
129	Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA
130	02111-1307, USA.