[crossfire] Unit tests

[Mark Wedel]

  Note that the complexity of writing tests is likely to be directly inverse to 
how powerful the test utilities are.

  For example, a lot tests may require non trivial maps, so it takes some time 
to create that map.  But specific actions perhaps also need to be done (casting 
a spell in direction X).  So you need some framework which easily lets one cast 
that spell.

  Some bugs may be reproducible on existing maps, but using those as is may not 
be desirable, as they could change - so ideally, you want to copy the map(s) in 
question and minimize the map to just reproduce the bug, and not have a lot of 
other stuff (otherwise, I could envision an unrelated archetype change making 
the map not work the same (say spell effect no longer reaches target).  That 
archetype change isn't testing the bug in question).

  One thought I have could also be those working on/writing the unit test suite 
to look at some of the current bugs and write unit tests for those (whether they 
want to fix the bug is separate) - just having the bug reports updated like 
'unit test Z reproduces this bug' will make it easier for those that actually 
fix the bug.

  Also, I think there is probably some level of example code.  The first few 
people to write the unit tests probably have a bit of a learning curve.  But 
those later can look at those existing tests and probably more easily figure out 
how to modify them for their purpose.