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