diff --git a/building/config.json b/building/config.json index 22dee80c..86e3f49b 100644 --- a/building/config.json +++ b/building/config.json @@ -829,6 +829,13 @@ "title": "The Test Runner Interface", "blurb": "" }, + { + "uuid": "0ab39b58-771e-42dc-aac9-e531bf43034e", + "slug": "tooling/test-runners/libraries", + "path": "building/tooling/test-runners/libraries.md", + "title": "Libraries", + "blurb": "" + }, { "uuid": "a9cf4712-9022-4bd2-83aa-55cbdfd62374", "slug": "tooling/lines-of-code-counter", diff --git a/building/tooling/test-runners/README.md b/building/tooling/test-runners/README.md index 8c333a44..e020064e 100644 --- a/building/tooling/test-runners/README.md +++ b/building/tooling/test-runners/README.md @@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ You can use the following documents to learn more about building a test runner: - [creating a Test Runner from scratch](/docs/building/tooling/test-runners/creating-from-scratch) - [The Test Runner interface](/docs/building/tooling/test-runners/interface) - [How to build a Docker image with Docker for local testing and deployment](/docs/building/tooling/test-runners/docker) +- [When and how to support libraries](/docs/building/tooling/test-runners/libraries) diff --git a/building/tooling/test-runners/libraries.md b/building/tooling/test-runners/libraries.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..138bae70 --- /dev/null +++ b/building/tooling/test-runners/libraries.md @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +# Libraries + +Exercism aims to teach [fluency](/docs/using/product/fluency) in the syntax, idioms, and the standard library of the language. +This explicitly does _not_ mention external (non built-in) libraries, as that falls under _proficiency_. +Exercises must thus, with few exceptions, be solvable without using libraries. + +## Reasons to support libraries + +There are couple of reasons why a track might still want to support libraries: + +1. The language has a (very) minimal standard library. + An example of such a language is Rust. +2. The library adds testing functionality. + An example is a library that adds support for property-based testing. +3. The exercise can only be solved using a library. + An example of such an exercise is the [lens-person exercise](https://exercism.org/exercises/lens-person), which in most languages can only be solved using a library. + +## Supporting libraries in the test runner + +As the test runner does not have access to the internet whilst running, it is not possible to download libraries at run time. +The **only** solution to this problem is to install/download libraries at build time, where you _do_ have access to the internet. +In practice, this means you'll need to install/download libraries within the Dockerfile. + +As an example, the [Prolog test runner's Dockerfile](https://github.com/exercism/prolog-test-runner/blob/ed7447a7518ede6ee3405e649f50aaec828e318b/Dockerfile) installs the `date_time` library: + +```dockerfile +RUN swipl pack install date_time -y +``` + +## Documentation + +If your track supports libraries, this should be documented in a [track doc](/docs/building/tracks/docs). +Please also link to this document (using its full URL) from the [`exercises/shared/.docs/help.md` document](/docs/building/tracks/shared-files#file-help-md).