Why isn't asdf:load-system creating the package

Question

I'm trying to to use asdf's functionality to run my test suite from the repl but when using quicklisps quickload if fails on the first attempt to load foo and success on the second.

(in-package :cl-user)
(defpackage :foo-system
  (:use :cl :asdf))
(in-package :foo-system)

(asdf:defsystem :foo
  :components ((:file "foo")))

(asdf:defsystem :foo-tests
  :depends-on (:foo)
  :components ((:file "foo-tests")))

(defmethod asdf:perform ((op test-op) (system (eql (find-system :foo))))
  (asdf:load-system 'foo-tests)
  (foo-tests:run-tests))

It makes sense because when I compile the asd file the error appears to be in the second form of the asdf:perfom defmethod. The error, replacing nclack by foo, is:

../../nclack/nclack.asd:36:27: read-error: READ error during COMPILE-FILE:

  Package NCLACK-TESTS does not exist.

    Line: 36, Column: 27, File-Position: 1034

    Stream: #<SB-SYS:FD-STREAM
              for "file /Users/PuercoPop/quicklisp/local-projects/nclack/nclack.asd"
              {1005DB11A3}>

which matches the (foo-tests:run-tests) line. So it appears to be that 'loading' a system is different from compiling its forms? Or why is the package not defined after loading the system? Any ideas? I'm at a loss.

find-system is a function in asdf namespace. The same goes for test-op. That shouldn't compile otherwise / unless you had those symbols declared in a package which was current at the compilation time. — user797257
Thank you for catching another mistake I had. It now compiles if I remove the (foo:tests-run-tests) form but this is a different kind of error. I'm going to update the code in the question to fix the mistake you pointed out. — PuercoPop

Svante Svante · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-22T09:57:29

When you compile-file this:

(defmethod asdf:perform ((op test-op) (system (eql (find-system :foo))))
  (asdf:load-system 'foo-tests)
  (foo-tests:run-tests))

the first step is to read the entire form. Reading includes interning of all symbols found. However, at read time, the form has not executed, so the system foo-tests is not yet loaded. Since that system includes the package foo-tests, and that is not loaded yet either, you cannot intern any symbols into that package at read time of this form.

That's why compile-file gives the error shown when trying to read the form.

It seems to me that you would need to (funcall (find-symbol "RUN-TESTS" #:foo-tests)).

Why isn't asdf:load-system creating the package

2 Answers