Re: Direction for test frameworks: Perl TAP vs. Python/pytest

Heikki Linnakangas <hlinnaka(at)iki(dot)fi> writes:
> On 16/06/2026 17:23, Andrew Dunstan wrote:
>> (A) Wholesale port with a flag day -- Python becomes *the*
>> framework, migrate the existing tests, stop accepting and eventually
>> remove the Perl one. One framework to learn and maintain, but a
>> large disruptive change with real dependency questions (which
>> Python, which libpq binding, buildfarm minimums).

> +1 on this

> I don't mind keeping the existing Perl tests for a while, but I'd like
> all new tests to be in Python, and have an agreement to migrate all
> existing tests over time. I haven't really looked at these efforts in
> detail so I don't know how long a transition period we need. Months? Years?

I agree that "one framework" is a good long-term goal, but I think the
key word there has to be "long". In particular, what are we going to
do when we need to back-patch a new test?

I'm not super attracted to the idea of back-patching a whole new test
framework into stable branches. But the alternatives are not pretty
either --- eg, who will want to write a python test and then translate
it to perl for the back branches?

Discuss.

regards, tom lane