testing / validation strategy about comportex HOT 2 CLOSED

Happily, clojure.spec came along. I'm starting work on using it to describe and test the code.

Starting in cells.cljc.

I already spec'd the layer parameters: floybix@1c75772
At the moment they are all listed together and checked once. I think the checking should be at the implementation level, checking the specific keys that are needed -- e.g. specific params needed by different inhibition algorithms or homeostasis algorithms.

I'm proposing to get rid of the defrecords and replace them with spec'd maps. I used records in the first place mainly just as a way to list the expected keys. While it is fine to spec records, you just end up listing the keys twice (once in the spec and once in defrecord).

This is, I think, a no-brainer in the case of LayerActiveState, LayerDistalState, etc. It's less clear however in the case of LayerOfCells. That record is defined with implementations of several protocols:

• PLayerOfCells
• PInterruptable
• PTopological
• PFeedForward
• PFeedBack
• PTemporal
• PParameterised

So I guess I will keep it as a record.

I have a feeling that activate/learn/depolarise would be nicer as multi-methods, but I'm not sure.

from comportex.

Figuring out how to spec the generic functions in the org.nfrac.comportex.protocols namespace while leaving implementation details in their separate namespace. It can be done with multispec. As part of this it seemed more natural to replace the layer getters -- active-columns, bursting-columns, active-cells, etc -- with a single layer-state that returns a map. If anyone is watching please take a look and tell me if i'm crazy... floybix@6b5008d

from comportex.