Re: random debugging, What should I prepare for a PL PhD program

Hans-Peter Diettrich <DrDiettrich1@netscape.net> schrieb:
> On 10/22/22 10:49 AM, Thomas Koenig wrote:
>
>> An automated code generator which generates valid programs according
>> to the syntax and semantics rules of a langauge and then systematically
>> violates the rules (especially those prescribed outside the formal
>> grammar) one by one might be possible. Alternatively, it might
>> also be feasible to parse an existing code base and systematically
>> insert violations there.
>
> Isn't it good practice to maintain a test suite at least for compilers,
> that contains both selected valid and invalid code snippets?


Very much so.


For example, gcc requires two things for a patch: There needs to
be a test case to make sure that the bug is fixed, or the added
feature keeps on working, and the submitter needs to run the
testsuite to make sure that all other tests continue to work.


This is a good approach, but it has the same basic limitations of
all testsuites: They are never complete, and they also contain
compiler-specific code and also some errors.


> For error reports on obviously weird input I'd prepare an equally weird
> answer ;-)


If you have seen enough strange bug reports, it might be equally
challenging to come up with something new as to actually fix the
bug :-)

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