HACKING

   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
  24 * Hacking
  25
  26 ** Visible changes
  27 Which include serious bug fixes, must be mentioned in NEWS.
  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.
  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.