Added a convenience function to start a storage server without having

to create configuration files first. This is primarily useful for
exploration and development.

src/ZEO/__init__.py

@@ -25,4 +25,56 @@ def DB(*args, **kw):
     import ZEO.ClientStorage, ZODB
     return ZODB.DB(ZEO.ClientStorage.ClientStorage(*args, **kw))
 
+def server(path=None, blob_dir=None, storage_conf=None, zeo_conf=None,
+           port=None):
+    """Convenience function to start a server for interactive exploration
 
+    This fuction starts a ZEO server, given a storage configuration or
+    a file-storage path and blob directory.  You can also supply a ZEO
+    configuration string or a port.  If neither a ZEO port or
+    configuration is supplied, a port is chosen randomly.
+
+    The server address and a stop function are returned. The address
+    can be passed to ZEO.ClientStorage.ClientStorage or ZEO.DB to
+    create a client to the server. The stop function can be called
+    without arguments to stop the server.
+
+    Arguments:
+
+    path
+       A file-storage path. This argument is ignored if a storage
+       configuration is supplied.
+    
+    blob_dir
+       A blob directory path. This argument is ignored if a storage
+       configuration is supplied.
+
+    storage_conf
+       A storage configuration string.  If none is supplied, then at
+       least a file-storage path must be supplied and the storage
+       configuration will be generated from the file-storage path and
+       the blob directory.
+
+    zeo_conf
+       A ZEO server configuration string.
+    
+    port
+       If no ZEO configuration is supplied, the one will be computed
+       from the port.  If no port is supplied, one will be chosedn
+       randomly.
+    
+    """
+    import os, ZEO.tests.forker
+    if storage_conf is None and path is None:
+        raise TypeError("You must specify either a storage_conf or file path.")
+    if port is None and zeo_conf is None:
+        port = ZEO.tests.forker.get_port()
+
+    addr, admin, pid, config = ZEO.tests.forker.start_zeo_server(
+        storage_conf, zeo_conf, port, keep=True, path=path,
+        blob_dir=blob_dir, suicide=False)
+    os.remove(config)
+    def stop_server():
+        ZEO.tests.forker.shutdown_zeo_server(admin)
+        os.waitpid(pid, 0)
+    return addr, stop_server 

src/ZEO/tests/forker.py

@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ def encode_format(fmt):
 
 
 def start_zeo_server(storage_conf=None, zeo_conf=None, port=None, keep=False,
-                     path='Data.fs', protocol=None):
+                     path='Data.fs', protocol=None, blob_dir=None,
+                     suicide=True):
     """Start a ZEO server in a separate process.
 
     Takes two positional arguments a string containing the storage conf
@@ -98,6 +99,9 @@ def start_zeo_server(storage_conf=None, zeo_conf=None, port=None, keep=False,
 
     if not storage_conf:
         storage_conf = '<filestorage>\npath %s\n</filestorage>' % path
+        if blob_dir:
+            storage_conf = '<blobstorage>\nblob-dir %s\n%s\n</blobstorage>' % (
+                blob_dir, storage_conf)
 
     if port is None:
         raise AssertionError("The port wasn't specified")
@@ -126,6 +130,8 @@ def start_zeo_server(storage_conf=None, zeo_conf=None, port=None, keep=False,
     args = [qa(sys.executable), qa(script), '-C', qa(tmpfile)]
     if keep:
         args.append("-k")
+    if not suicide:
+        args.append("-S")
     if protocol:
         args.extend(["-v", protocol])
         

src/ZEO/tests/zeoserver.py

@@ -153,13 +153,16 @@ def main():
     # wrong, it's a bug in the test suite.
     keep = 0
     configfile = None
+    suicide = True
     # Parse the arguments and let getopt.error percolate
-    opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'kC:v:')
+    opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'kSC:v:')
     for opt, arg in opts:
         if opt == '-k':
             keep = 1
         elif opt == '-C':
             configfile = arg
+        elif opt == '-S':
+            suicide = False
         elif opt == '-v':
             import ZEO.zrpc.connection
             ZEO.zrpc.connection.Connection.current_protocol = arg
@@ -205,6 +208,7 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(2)
 
     t.register_socket(server.dispatcher)
+    if suicide:
         # Create daemon suicide thread
         d = Suicide(test_addr)
         d.setDaemon(1)