[vtk-developers] Python tests are not being run!

[Prabhu Ramachandran]

hi,

I just ran an experimental test on my machine using Dart and see that
none of the Python tests run anymore.  I think this is because there
used to be a variable called VTK_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE that seems to have
disappeared.  Maybe I'm wrong.  In any case the Python tests are not
being run.  For example Rendering/Testing/Python/DartTestFile.txt is
empty.  How do we get them to run and what is the way to refer to the
vtkpython executable?  I looked at the various CMake* files and was
not able to find any reference on how to do this right.  Could someone
please check this.  Thanks!

I also noticed that the CMakeLists.txt file inside Wrapping/Python/
has changed a lot to copy and compile the Python related files into
the VTK_BINARY_DIR.  However the files are all explicitly specified.
This is bit of a pain because if any new file is added to
Wrapping/Python/vtk/* one has to change the CMakeLists.txt as well
(plus, this is not documented anywhere).  Can this be fixed?  Can't
one simply recursively copy out the vtk directory out to the
VTK_BINARY_DIR/Wrapping/Python/?

I'd also appreciate if we (the list, David or me) are told about what
changes are made to atleast the Python side of things.  I usually
report pretty much anything I do here.  If I am not informed of
changes to VTK-Python I cannot be expected to maintain it or write the
docs, can I?  If the recomended way is to copy files to VTK_BINARY_DIR
and then use those, should not the setup.py and the docs be changed to
that effect?  Could someone please clarify whats going on here and
what we are to do?

Andy, I really appreciate all the work you've done to make VTK-Python
work so well.  I would appreciate it if you would also let the list
know what you are up to so I don't panic when stuff like this happens.

cheers,
prabhu