Generator improvements.

[Insti]

@petertseng found some things that could be improved while he was building a generator:

From: #484 (comment)

you need to touch .version or the generator won't run (increment_version requires that such a file exists). And you need to have an example file too. I tried to generate my tests before working on my example, but increment_version_in_example requires that the example actually exist.

[Insti]

@bmulvihill and I are working on improving the generator process, so we'll take these into account.

[bmulvihill]

Yeah I actually noticed this too, we could have a simple command to scaffold this stuff when creating a new generator.

ie
bin/generate new EXERCISE_NAME

This will set up all the necessary files so all you need to do is implement the actual generator methods.

[bmulvihill]

We might even want a different executable to handle something like this to prevent confusion, something like bin/scaffold EXERCISE_NAME

[kotp]

Maybe, but look at adding the functionality to take an argument. This seems so closely tied to generate that it does not make sense to have a new executable.

[petertseng]

Another idea that could be considered if y'all really do not want a new command:

Make the two cases mentioned above tolerant of the files not existing.

• In the case of the .version file: Create it and write 1 into it.
• In the case of the example file: Either do nothing, or simply print a warning "example file doesn't exist" (since this case should only happen when writing the generator for the first time)

That said, something to scaffold the adding of a new exercise with generator seems useful - the lib file, the example.tt file, possibly appending it to config.json if possible (!). Back in the day it used to be more, you would have to add a bin/generate-#{slug}, thanks for getting rid of that step!

[kotp]

Prefer to create .version on first use. That is a great thing... No example file warning is good, as well, a first exercise contributor would be lead to do the needful.

[kotp]

Should now use the version number from canonical rather than the sha as is currently done in bin/generator/git_command.rb Should add a warn('Deprecated - use canonical_version instead.') maybe?

[hilary]

@kotp and I are working on a generator, and have noticed some pain points.

1. The documentation says a generator requires workload, however the method is actually work_load.
2. It isn't at all clear how to construct work_load

Edit: having finished the generator, I now realize that it could be either (or, for that matter, joe) so long as example.tt and $PROBLEM_cases.rb use the same name.

[Insti]

I think it should be workload it's one word.

[Insti]

The documentation says a generator requires workload, however the method is actually work_load.

What made you think this? Was it some documentation? Another test file?
I'm trying to work out what we need to do to can clear up any confusion.

It isn't at all clear how to construct work_load

Yeah the documentation needs to be improved.

Thanks for the feedback @hilary

Edit: I read through the documentation in the readme, and can now better understand why you were confused!

[hilary]

One of the causes of my confusion was the inconsistency between #test_name (in $PROBLEM_cases) and #name (in example.tt). I left a note in your PR as well, @Insti