[llvm-dev] RFC: FileCheck Enhancements

[Chris Lattner via llvm-dev]

On Sep 13, 2016, at 8:14 PM, Vedant Kumar <vsk at apple.com> wrote:
> 
> Let me start by saying that adding a few hard-coded patterns to FileCheck could
> work well for many of llvm's tests. I'd be perfectly fine with that approach.
> 
> My thinking was that if it isn't easy to teach FileCheck about new patterns,
> it's less likely that people will do it. I'm not interested in making FileCheck
> a general-purpose testing tool, but I would like to use custom patterns to
> simplify in-tree tests that aren't in *.ll or *.s files.
> 
> I don't think that all extensions to the FileCheck syntax would cause serious
> maintainability issues. Being able to define patterns in some tests could
> actually make them more readable. However, if there isn't a way to extend
> FileCheck without creating serious readability issues, I agree that we
> shouldn't do it.

Ok, it sounds like you agree that modes would be a good way to solve the most common case.  How about we start with that.  After that lands and gets adopted, we can see how big the middle zone served by custom pattern is, and what we are leaving on the table by not supporting it.

-Chris