[doc] if Configure'd to "Use Strict by default", 5.38.2 build fails because assorted build scripts break under "use strict"

[gsteemso]

At a minimum, offending scripts appear to include "regen/embed_lib.pl" (as called by "autodoc.pl") and "base/cond.t" (as called by minitest). Each of them failed hard with a slew of "did you forget to declare variable $such-and-such?" messages.

If it turns out that these do in fact run successfully with "use strict", I will be very confused, because disabling that option in Configure allowed compilation and installation to succeed.

[jkeenan]

At a minimum, offending scripts appear to include "regen/embed_lib.pl" (as called by "autodoc.pl") and "base/cond.t" (as called by minitest). Each of them failed hard with a slew of "did you forget to declare variable $such-and-such?" messages.

If it turns out that these do in fact run successfully with "use strict", I will be very confused, because disabling that option in Configure allowed compilation and installation to succeed.

Can you post the ./Configure command you used in this investigation?

[tonycoz]

$ ./Configure -des -Dusedevel -Dusedefaultstrict
...
$ make -j2 test-prep
...
$ ./miniperl -Ilib autodoc.pl
...
Global symbol "$n" requires explicit package name (did you forget to declare "my $n"?) at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 3.
Global symbol "$n" requires explicit package name (did you forget to declare "my $n"?) at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 4.
Global symbol "$n" requires explicit package name (did you forget to declare "my $n"?) at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 5.
Global symbol "$n" requires explicit package name (did you forget to declare "my $n"?) at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 6.
Global symbol "$n" requires explicit package name (did you forget to declare "my $n"?) at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 7.
BEGIN not safe after errors--compilation aborted at ./regen/embed_lib.pl line 10.
Compilation failed in require at autodoc.pl line 89.

[jkeenan]

At a minimum, offending scripts appear to include "regen/embed_lib.pl" (as called by "autodoc.pl") and "base/cond.t" (as called by minitest). Each of them failed hard with a slew of "did you forget to declare variable $such-and-such?" messages.

If it turns out that these do in fact run successfully with "use strict", I will be very confused, because disabling that option in Configure allowed compilation and installation to succeed.

From pod/perl5340delta.pod, with respect to -Dusedefaultstrict:

This setting provides a diagnostic mechanism intended for development
purposes only and is thus undefined by default.

During the (now discontinued) "Perl 7" project in summer/fall 2020, we spent hundreds of hours overhauling the core distribution (mainly, its test suite), so that it would build and test correctly under "strict by default". (I don't think it was formulated as a Configure-switch back then.) We did it, but it was a tremendous effort and probably ultimately not worth it.

So while we should fix the example reported in this ticket -- and I see @tonycoz is preparing a patch -- we should not, IMO, obsess over each thing we find.

[gsteemso]

Very interesting!

In light of the reasoning there, I would suggest that the feature be removed. I submit that, if it was not intended to be used and in fact cannot be used, then it should not be left out where people might try to use it.

I will freely admit to having a somewhat biased opinion. :¬)

[haarg]

It would probably be reasonable to leave the USE_STRICT_BY_DEFAULT define one place, but remove usedefaultstrict.

[jkeenan]

It would probably be reasonable to leave the USE_STRICT_BY_DEFAULT define one place, but remove usedefaultstrict.

@haarg, would you like to open a ticket for the removal of usedefaultstrict?

Apart from that, I don't think there's anything more to be done in this ticket.

[gsteemso]

Agreed. Marking it closed.