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To: internals@lists.php.net, "Enrico Weigelt" <weigelt@metux.de>
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Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:44:04 -0000
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Release Process
From: glopes@nebm.ist.utl.pt ("Gustavo Lopes")

On Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:14:42 -0000, Enrico Weigelt <weigelt@metux.de>  
wrote:

> * Stas Malyshev <smalyshev@sugarcrm.com> wrote:
>>
>> Of course, nobody personally has any time. But PHP is a volunteer
>> project, so if nobody has the time, nobody should complain about "php
>> developers not caring". PHP developers are caring, but it's not humanly
>> possible for them to foresee everything, that's why testing exists.
>
> True. But at least we could use an development process that requires
> less testing (or automates much of it). Perhaps starting with clear
> specifications which it gets tested against.
>
> If it was some commercial project and I was the chief architect,
> I'd require my people to first have a well-thought specification
> before starting actually implementing anything new.
>
> I know, it's a big beaurocracy which doesn't make as much fun as

We usually add test cases when fixing bugs and adding new features.  
However, besides being impossible to test all possible code paths, there's  
one problem you're not considering.

The problem is that you seem to have no idea of how undermanned the  
project is. We can barely fix the bugs that are reported. On top of that,  
most of the contributors are volunteers -- when faced with an endless  
boring task (in your words, not "fun" task), the reaction isn't "well it  
sucks, but I have to earn money to eat", it's "screw it, I have better  
things to do with my scarce free time". I'm not saying that whatever  
stability/reliability improving procedures you'd like to see implemented  
are worthless, I'm saying they have to be weighted against the  
motivational factor.

If you actually want PHP's development process to be more reliable, the  
best thing you can do is to contribute by writing test cases, reviewing  
the code committed, etc.

-- 
Gustavo Lopes