Issues completing install/test of tools for backplanejs

[John Boyer]

Hi Mark,

After installing Google App Engine, the file dev_appserver.py fails to run correctly. It starts and chugs away for a while, but then reports failure due to an undefined "application root"

The command-line in the instructions shows just the dev_appserver.py, but it seems to want a command-line that looks like this:

dev_appserver.py [options] <application root>

Any suggestions on what should be used for <application root>?  Possibly due to this failure, I am not asked whether I want to do updates, so it is unclear whether I can reasonably proceed with ant tasks.

That being said, "ant compile" reports success for me, though I can't get far enough along to determine whether my eclipse version of ant (v1.7.1) is really succeeding at the compile step.

It would be nice if the "UsingTools" wiki page indicated where "ant compile" puts the files it builds.  I had the benefit of our last call so I know it is <project>/target/output.  I would make the similar comment for other important generator targets like "ant deploy", "ant initialize" and "ant site".

Anyway, I next try "ant test" even though I know I shouldn't due to the GAE failure.  However, I don't get far enough along for that to be a problem.

Although I am told to create a my.ant.properties file, the explanation of why leads me to believe that it is optional (i.e. if I want to use localhost 8080 as the defaults for the GAE server).  However, the "test" tool needs me to specify some selenium variables.  So, I copied the "copy to my.ant.properties" file as instructed, and then I have several questions:

1) Do I need to set gc.username and gc.password?  If so, why?  I think the install should indicate you have to set these if you want to run "ant such-and-such".  Based on the text for "ant deploy" I am guessing this is where it is needed, though in that case I think you mean "create deployable asset"?

2) Do I need to get an GAE account?  Only for "ant site-deploy"?

3) I assume gae.host and gae.port would be used to invoke a copy of GAE, right?  Or would they be used to access an already running GAE server that I must run separately?

4) Do I need to uncomment and define the gae.windows.install.dir?  In particular my copy of GAE is on my D drive, so it is not in the default location.

5) In selenium-rc.params, you define a fireffoxProfileTemplate. What is that and how do I find out how to fill in the 'path/to/profile'?  What if that path contains spaces? Is there any similar such parameter for testing IE?

6) In selenium-rc.browsers, what does *firefox3 mean?  I assume this means to run all tests marked as being pertinent for firefox?  I assume this means it will run those tests in whatever firefox I point it at with the path, right? Do I need to do anything special to deal with spaces in the path to firefox?  How would I ask it to run IE7, IE8 or some version of Safari instead?  Can it only test one browser at a time?

Thanks,
John Boyer