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I am currently writing a new test runner for Django and I’d like to know if it’s possible to TDD my test runner using my own test runner. Kinda like compiler bootstrapping where a compiler compiles itself.
Assuming it’s possible, how can it be done?
Bootstrapping is a cool technique, but it does have a circular-definition problem. How can you write tests with a framework that doesn’t exist yet?
Bootstrapping compilers can get around this problem in several ways, but it’s my understanding that usually the first implementation isn’t bootstrapped. Later bootstraps would be rewrites that then use the original compiler to compile themselves.
So use an existing framework to write it the first time out. Then, once you have a stable release, you can re-write the tests using your own test-runner.