1040938 - Make AndroidEclipse backend package and install relevant files

Status: NEW

(Firefox Build System :: General, defect)

Description

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

When the AndroidEclipse backend completes, the output directories look quite barren.  It's very off-putting to new users: I've had many questions/complaints about this.  This is a FAQ question:

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fennec/Android/Eclipse#Frequently_asked_questions

and I wrote a blog post about it:

http://www.ncalexander.net/blog/2014/07/08/how-the-android-eclipse-integration-works/

It also hides subtle bugs with running the packaging step at the wrong time.  I propose to run |mach package| and execute the various Make targets that prepare the directories as part of the build backend.  It's not /pure/, but it will prevent some confusion.

Comment 1

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

Attachment: Make AndroidEclipse build backend package and install files. r=gps

This patch changes the AndroidEclipse backend so that after it
completes, the output directories no longer look barren.  That has
proven very off-putting to new users.  By packaging and running the
install files, we both improve the optics of the result, and we avoid
some subtle errors that can occur when the packaged files are moved
around (which happens during packaging).

Comment 2

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him]]

Oh dear, this completely busts the python tests:

chocho:gecko-dev nalexander$ ./mach python-test python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/
 0:00.13 /Users/nalexander/Mozilla/gecko-dev/objdir-droid/_virtualenv/bin/python python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/test_android_eclipse.py
 0:00.36 [u'./mach', u'package']
 0:00.38 TEST-UNEXPECTED-FAIL | python/mozbuild/mozbuild/test/backend/test_android_eclipse.py | line 61, test_classpathentries:

gps: how would you feel about adding pre- and post-build-backend commands to the BuildBackend class, and invoking them in config.status?  Then I could do these commands in a way that doesn't piggy back on the consumption logic.

Comment 3

[Gregory Szorc [:gps]]

I think pre- and post- hooks for the build backends are a great idea. Add whatever APIs you need to make the developer experience better.