[tap-l] User Supplied YAML Diagnostic Keys: Descriptive Version

[Ovid]

--- Michael G Schwern <schwern at pobox.com> wrote:

> As for why it'll work with TAP, with a few exceptions (exit_status,
> or 
> whatever we decide to call it, is currently the only one), diagnostic
> keys do 
> not effect test parsing.  It's not a show stopper.  At worst, a
> displayer that 
> has been customized to do something special with a user defined key
> might show 
> some odd output.  The tests still pass and fail as before.

Except that you're telling people they can build rich clients on keys
they can't depend on.

> You're either going to wind up with a big list of prefixes and keys,
> which is 
> annoying work, or you're going to break down and match on /-time$/
> and defeat 
> the point of prefixing.

1.  Having no prefixes whatsoever allows this problem.

2.  Having ambiguous prefixes which nevertheless have a recommended
structure mitigates this problem.

3.  Having an authority for each prefix eliminates this problem.

I recommend #2 as being the most bang for the buck.  #3 is far beyond
the scope of what we can usefully determine at this time.  #1 is merely
plugging your ears and singing 'la-la-la' over and over again :)
 
Cheers,
Ovid

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