TestRunPerl implies that mod_perl is available. If it is not, TestRunPerl should abort *before* it creates the config file, telling user to use a mod_perl enabled server.
I don't think it needs to be that way, and I'm not even sure it's a good idea. here's why...
I may have a distribution that has parts that can work in both environments. say I'm writing a test for CGI.pm - I maybe want to have tests that use no server (generate HTML foo), then test stuff like $q->param, which behaves differently under mod_perl and mod_cgi.
TestRunPerl is useful for configuring the mod_perl part of the server, but I don't necessarily want the _entire test suite_ to blow up just because mod_perl isn't in the httpd the user provided - there are still at least two parts of the module I can test. granted, with something as simple as CGI.pm I may not need the mod_perl widgets, but for other, more elaborate, modules I may. and the functionality for configuring mod_perl widgets is right there in TestRunPerl - no need for me to do it myself, either manually or through a subclass.
now, say you have a mod_perl-only module, like some of the ones we have both written. you have a choice: you either want the tests to fail if mod_perl isn't present (like you do) or you want the tests to skip (like I do).
the patch I have proposed allows both to coexist. for me, I can do
plan tests => 1, have_module('mod_perl.c');while you can do
die unless have_module('mod_perl.c');plan tests => 1;
the end result is that everybody can achieve the behavior they want, which is kinda what Perl is all about :)
There is nothing wrong with your patch, but it hides the problem instead of fixing it.
we clearly have different views of the problem. I think that Apache-Test should provide the tools to configure a server and run the tests, leaving it up to the tests to decide what fails and what passes. by making TestRunPerl (or anything else, for that matter) abort if a specific httpd module isn't found, you are taking away flexibility that would benefit test authors.
in other words, Apache-Test should provide tools to make creating a test enviroment easier, not make decisions about whether 'make test' passes or fails.
--Geoff
