Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.99517864@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:44:19 +0100 Return-Path: <@vm.gmd.de:LATEX-L@DHDURZ1.BITNET> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.99517864" x-vm-v5-data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil][nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil]) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: LaTeX trip tests and checksums Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1992 01:05:07 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Nelson H. F. Beebe" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Rainer M. Schoepf" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 562 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.99517864 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I support the notion of trip tests for software regression testing, and agree that it is hard. However, I feel that the issue of corruption in files should be addressed separately. The checksum program by Robert Solovay that is now used in the file headers I'm putting on everything that I produce provides a better solution. The relevant code can be found in math.utah.edu in ~ftp/pub/tex/pub/checksum and ~ftp/pub/tex/bib/filehdr*. I even have a preliminary LaTeXinfo document on the latter which I can make available to anyone who is interested. On the question of diffing test output against a master output: please note that this is not easy to do cleanly or even automatically. Recall the TeX trip and METAFONT trap diffs, where architectural differences can produce small differences in the last few digits of large integers, making tedious manual inspection of the diffs by an expert human essential. In particular, one cannot simply diff binary dvi files, or even hex dumps from them (for one thing, the TeX run time strings will always differ). I have a similar problem with my PLOT79 graphics package, where I would like to be able to do automated diffs against master plot files; I've never been able to figure out a way to do this satisfactorily. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Nelson H.F. Beebe Center for Scientific Computing Department of Mathematics 220 South Physics Building University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA Tel: (801) 581-5254 FAX: (801) 581-4148 Internet: beebe@math.utah.edu =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.99517864 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable LaTeX trip tests and checksums

I support the notion of trip tests for software = regression testing,
and agree that it is hard.

However, I feel that the issue of corruption in files = should be
addressed separately.  The checksum program by = Robert Solovay that is
now used in the file headers I'm putting on = everything that I produce
provides a better solution.

The relevant code can be found in math.utah.edu = in
~ftp/pub/tex/pub/checksum and = ~ftp/pub/tex/bib/filehdr*.  I even have
a preliminary LaTeXinfo document on the latter which = I can make
available to anyone who is interested.

On the question of diffing test output against a = master output: please
note that this is not easy to do cleanly or even = automatically.
Recall the TeX trip and METAFONT trap diffs, where = architectural
differences can produce small differences in the last = few digits of
large integers, making tedious manual inspection of = the diffs by an
expert human essential.  In particular, one = cannot simply diff binary
dvi files, or even hex dumps from them (for one = thing, the TeX run
time strings will always differ).

I have a similar problem with my PLOT79 graphics = package, where I
would like to be able to do automated diffs against = master plot files;
I've never been able to figure out a way to do this = satisfactorily.



=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
Nelson H.F. Beebe
Center for Scientific Computing
Department of Mathematics
220 South Physics Building
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
USA
 Tel: (801) 581-5254
 FAX: (801) 581-4148
 Internet: beebe@math.utah.edu
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=

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