Add integration test to ease continuous integration

[LukasKalbertodt]

The development of this library is horribly slow; not due to the developers but due to me maintaining it. The problem is that merging code every few months requires me to re-understand the whole library and Telegram-API in order to decide if the changes are valid. This is the reason for why this library is bit-rotting :disappointed:

To finally ease development, I suggest to add a very good integration test. This test should test all features of the API with a real bot, if somehow possible. I want to be able to merge immediately if the code looks clean and all tests passed.

Any comments? What do you think @knsd @dns2utf8 @neuschaefer @rockneurotiko?

[dns2utf8]

I like the idea, but I am not sure how we can do it.

Can we redesign the lib as a whole? To make the structure simpler and increase the maintainability?

[dns2utf8]

If we rewrite the lib, can we do it with TDD?

CC: @knsd @neuschaefer @rockneurotiko

[LukasKalbertodt]

Can we redesign the lib as a whole? To make the structure simpler and increase the maintainability?

I'm not sure if this library needs a rewrite -- the API is OK I guess. But maybe we as developer need said rewrite to boost motivation and maintainability (as you said) :stuck_out_tongue:

So I would be OK with rewriting everything, but I'd like to do it in a rather short time (e.g. not over a whole month) and together with someone else. I do have time to work on this from Saturday (or maybe Monday) on for a few weeks at least.

So I'd love to rewrite this with someone else. Do you, @dns2utf8, want to help? What about your time? Apparently we live in the same time zone, which eases development :wink:

[rockneurotiko]

I'll help with any rewrite and/or tests all I can (If I don't answer in some time don't worry, this month I'm in a village almost without internet).

I've never made any tests in Rust, how is the best way to go? The language test attribute? Some library? (I found stainless and https://github.com/kriomant/mockers/ but both needs nightly).

[knsd]

I've never made any tests in Rust, how is the best way to go? The language test attribute?

I think language test attribute should be enough since Api is quite simple and immutable.

Can we redesign the lib as a whole?

Want to propose new api for messages, something like:

let chat = api.chat(chat_id); // Or from input message
chat.message("Any message").web_page_preview(false).reply_to(message).send();
chat.action(ChatAction::Typing).send();
...

So there are two changes:

• Populate Chat type with a hidden field token, so we doesn't need to to pass chat_id in every send_* function. Not sure about it. Same things with Message.
• Make Message type a builder, so we doesn't need to pass four Nones and remember which None is what.

Also we can migrate to serde from rustc-serialize.

[LukasKalbertodt]

The language test attribute?

Yes, I'd like to go with the built in feature, which is more than enough for simple to medium-sized test-suites. We might want to think about another solution for the integration test (which will perform real network-IO), but I think Rust's default testing system is fine for that, too.

Also we can migrate to serde from rustc-serialize.

Not sure about this. I've never worked with serde, I want to avoid nightly, want to use the easy of macros and I'm skeptical about syntex...

Want to propose new api for messages, something like:

I'm fine with a new API, but I'd say we shouldn't discuss it here. First I want to discuss how we discuss those topics and work on it.

So first, [1] I'd like to know from you nice people if you want to help ...

1. discuss API design
2. doing the first big chunk of programming
3. help improving it once the biggest chunk of functionality is implemented

For (1.) I'd propose another media of communication than GitHub. Transparency is awesome, but sometimes a quick back and forth discussion is needed IMO. I guess we all have a Telegram account, so that would be a sensible choice :wink:

Secondly, [2] please tell me when you can spare some time. Just on the weekend? The whole week, but weekends? As I already mentioned, I am available from Monday on (the whole week) for a few weeks.

Looking forward to work with you!

[dns2utf8]

I would like to help :smiley:

The bot using this lib has a handwritten parser which I developed with the integrated test suite: https://github.com/coredump-ch/coredumpbot/blob/master/src/user_input_compiler.rs#L383

I made a Telegram group, if this is ok with everybody: https://telegram.me/joinchat/AvMyLj-VkTBoU8DAcv-JeA

[1]

1. yes
2. yes
3. in september or later

[2] currently I am preparing myself for my exams in august so I should not invest more than a day :wink: But that day can be any in the next 5 days, including the rest of today.