=pod

=head1 NAME

CPAN::YACSmoke::FAQ - YACSmoke Frequently Asked Questions

=head1 QUESTIONS

=head2 General Questions

=over

=item YACSmoke does/does not ...

YACSmoke uses L<CPANPLUS::Backend> to download, extract, and test packages
and send out the reports.  The advantage is that we don't have to re-write
duplicate code.  The disadvantage is that some of the bugs in CPANPLUS will
affect CPAN::YACSmoke as well. 

=item Test reports have my build directory location...

This is a CPANPLUS issue, not a YACSmoke issue. To change it, you need
to change the C<extractdir> and C<fetchdir> locations in CPANPLUS. Open
the shell and run the following commands:

  s conf extractdir /some/extract/dir
  s conf fetchdir /some/fetch/dir
  s save

Alternatively, you can update those settings in the F<cpansmoke.ini> file,
but that will only affect test reports sent out using YACSmoke, and not
those from the CPANPLUS shell.

=back

=head2 Module Authors

=over

=item How can I tell if my module is being tested by YACSmoke?

Your module should check if the AUTOMATED_TESTING envornment variable
is set:

  if ($ENV{AUTOMATED_TESTING}) { ... }

=item What if my module needs user input for testing?

There are several solutions:

=over

=item *

Use an environment variable or cross-platform method of locating a
configuration file that has the information you need.

=item *

Skip all tests that need this input if C<$ENV{AUTOMATED_TESTING}> is set,
and live with the fact that automated smoke tests for your module won't
be thorough.

=item *

You can use a package such as L<Test::Expect> to test automated interactive
sessions.  (Note that Test::Expect may not run on every platform, so you
should skip the tests if it is not installed.)

For Windows programs which use a graphical interface, there's also
L<Win32::GuiTest>.

=item *

Include sample data to test against if no user data is available.

=back

=item Why should I care if your (explitive) OS doesn't have (feature)?

See L<perlport> - Writing portable Perl.

=item How can I get YACSmoke to issue an NA report?

YACSmoke relies on CPANPLUS to determine that. Currently (CPANPLUS version
0.054) looks at the module name: if it begins with a platform name such
as "Win32" or "Solaris", then it issues an "NA" (Not Applicable) report.

We are looking into ways to allow tests to issue NA results rather
than relying on package names.

One suggestion from the Perl module-authors list
L<http://www.nntp.perl.org/group/perl.module-authors/3600> is 
in the F<Makefile.PL> and F<Build.PL> to die with a reason:

  die "NA: $reason";

Note that current versions of CPANPLUS and YACSmoke do not yet recognize this.

=back

=head1 SEE ALSO

L<CPANPLUS>

L<CPAN>

=cut