Wildcat: full SDK init (InitWCglobal + LoadMakeWild + BTInitIsam); test across 7 conferences

The TWildcatBase.OpenConference was creating a TMsgDatabase without
populating the SDK globals, causing access violations on MwConfig.
Now calls the full Register sequence: InitWCglobal, LoadMakeWild,
BTInitIsam before opening; BTExitIsam + DisposeWCglobal on close.

test_wildcat reads conferences 0..6 from vendored testdata (copied
to /tmp/ma_wildcat so the source tree stays read-only).

docs/format-notes/dependencies.md

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 ## Sample data
 
-Real message bases for testing live at `~/fidonet/msg/`:
+Real message bases for testing live at `~/fidonet/msg/` and for
+WildCat! at `~/allfix_dev/f_drive/tpfiles/allfix/wc_dev/testdata/`:
 
 - `hudson/`   — Hudson MSGINFO/IDX/HDR/TXT/TOIDX.BBS set
 - `jam/`      — many JAM echo areas (e.g. `10thamd.jhr/jdt/jdx/jlr`)
@@ -11,9 +12,16 @@ Real message bases for testing live at `~/fidonet/msg/`:
 - `squish/`   — Squish bases (currently empty but layout reserved)
 - `local/jam/`, `lowerit/`, `passthru/` — additional collections
 
+- WildCat 4 testdata:
+  - `CONFDESC.DAT/IX/UX` — conference descriptors (7 conferences)
+  - `MSG/MSG0..MSG6.DAT + .IX` — per-conference message databases
+  - `DATA/ALLUSERS.DAT + USERCONF.DAT` — users + per-user conference membership
+
 Tests should open these read-only and verify message counts, first/last
 messages, and specific known attributes.  Do NOT write to these paths
-from tests — copy them into a scratch dir first.
+from tests — copy them into a scratch dir first.  The Wildcat SDK
+mutates the message database during Open (btis locks, modcounters) so
+even "read" paths must go through a scratch copy.
 
 ## Authoritative specs
 

run_tests.sh

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ compile() {
     local src=$1
     echo "  compile $(basename "$src")"
     "$FPCNATIVE" -Mobjfpc -Sh -Sgic \
-        -Fusrc -Fusrc/formats -Futests \
+        -Fusrc -Fusrc/formats -Fusrc/wc_sdk -Futests \
         -FUunits/"$TGT" -FEexe/"$TGT" \
         "$src" >/tmp/ma_test_build.$$.log 2>&1 || {
             cat /tmp/ma_test_build.$$.log
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ compile tests/test_read.pas
 compile tests/test_roundtrip.pas
 compile tests/test_lock.pas
 compile tests/test_batch.pas
+compile tests/test_wildcat.pas
 
 echo
 echo "Running tests..."
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ run test_read
 run test_roundtrip
 run test_lock
 run test_batch
+run test_wildcat
 
 echo
 echo "All tests passed."

src/formats/ma.fmt.wildcat.pas

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ interface
 
 uses
   WcType, WcMsgDb, WcUserDb, WcGlobal, WcMisc, WcDb,
-  Filer, BTISBase;
+  Filer, BTISBase, BTFileIO;
 
 type
   TWildcatBase = class
@@ -150,6 +150,24 @@ end;
 
 { --- Conference management --- }
 
+function LoadMakeWild(var AMwConfig: TMakewildRec): boolean;
+var
+  F: file of TMakewildRec;
+  SaveFileMode: word;
+begin
+  Result := False;
+  Assign(F, 'MAKEWILD.DAT');
+  SaveFileMode := FileMode;
+  FileMode := 66;                   { deny-none share, read-write }
+  {$I-} Reset(F); {$I+}
+  FileMode := SaveFileMode;
+  if IoResult <> 0 then exit;
+  {$I-} Read(F, AMwConfig); {$I+}
+  Result := IoResult = 0;
+  {$I-} Close(F); {$I+}
+  if IoResult = 0 then {ignore};
+end;
+
 function TWildcatBase.OpenConference(Conf: word): boolean;
 begin
   Result := False;
@@ -158,6 +176,24 @@ begin
 
   SaveAndChangeDir;
 
+  { WC SDK globals must be populated before opening any database.
+    InitWCglobal allocates the pointers; LoadMakeWild fills MwConfig^
+    from MAKEWILD.DAT in the current dir; BtInitIsam brings up the
+    ISAM layer the message/user databases sit on.  Done in
+    CloseConference. }
+  InitWCglobal;
+  if not LoadMakeWild(MwConfig^) then begin
+    DisposeWCglobal;
+    RestoreDir;
+    exit;
+  end;
+  BtInitIsam(NetSupportType(MwConfig^.Network), MinimizeUseOfNormalHeap, 0);
+  if not IsamOk then begin
+    DisposeWCglobal;
+    RestoreDir;
+    exit;
+  end;
+
   New(FMsgDb, Init);
   New(FUserDb, Init);
 
@@ -170,6 +206,8 @@ begin
     FUserDb := nil;
     if FMsgDb <> nil then Dispose(FMsgDb);
     FMsgDb := nil;
+    BtExitIsam;
+    DisposeWCglobal;
     RestoreDir;
   end;
 end;
@@ -190,6 +228,8 @@ begin
     FUserDb := nil;
   end;
 
+  BtExitIsam;
+  DisposeWCglobal;
   RestoreDir;
 end;
 

tests/test_wildcat.pas

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+{
+  test_wildcat.pas - WildCat! 4 adapter smoke test.
+
+  The WC SDK opens databases for write (btis lock, modcounter
+  bumps) even when the caller only reads, so we never touch the
+  source tree directly.  This test copies the whole testdata
+  directory to a scratch location first, runs the adapter there,
+  then leaves the scratch alone for manual inspection.
+
+  Source lives at
+    ~/allfix_dev/f_drive/tpfiles/allfix/wc_dev/testdata/
+  and is NEVER modified.
+}
+
+program test_wildcat;
+
+{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
+
+uses
+  SysUtils,
+  testutil,
+  ma.types, ma.events, ma.api,
+  ma.fmt.wildcat, ma.fmt.wildcat.uni;
+
+const
+  SRC     = '/home/ken/allfix_dev/f_drive/tpfiles/allfix/wc_dev/testdata';
+  SCRATCH = '/tmp/ma_wildcat';
+
+function RunShell(const Cmd: string): integer;
+begin
+  Result := ExecuteProcess('/bin/sh', ['-c', Cmd]);
+end;
+
+function CopyTree(const Source, Dest: string): boolean;
+var
+  cmd: string;
+begin
+  cmd := SysUtils.Format('cp -r "%s"/. "%s"/ 2>/dev/null', [Source, Dest]);
+  Result := RunShell(cmd) = 0;
+end;
+
+procedure PrepareScratch;
+begin
+  if DirectoryExists(SCRATCH) then
+    RunShell(SysUtils.Format('rm -rf "%s"', [SCRATCH]));
+  ForceDirectories(SCRATCH);
+  if not CopyTree(SRC, SCRATCH) then
+    raise Exception.Create('cp -r failed');
+end;
+
+procedure TestConference(Conf: word);
+var
+  base: TMessageBase;
+  adapter: TWildcatMessageBase;
+  msg:  TUniMessage;
+  i, count, ok: longint;
+begin
+  TestBegin(SysUtils.Format('WildCat! conference %d', [Conf]));
+  base := MessageBaseOpen(mbfWildcat, SCRATCH, momReadWrite);
+  adapter := base as TWildcatMessageBase;
+  adapter.Conference := Conf;
+  try
+    AssertTrue('Open', base.Open);
+    count := base.MessageCount;
+    ok := 0;
+    for i := 0 to count - 1 do
+      if base.ReadMessage(i, msg) then begin
+        Inc(ok);
+        if i = 0 then
+          AssertTrue('First msg has sender',
+                     Length(msg.WhoFrom) > 0);
+      end;
+    AssertEquals('Read all reported messages', count, ok);
+  finally
+    base.Close;
+    base.Free;
+  end;
+  TestOK;
+end;
+
+var
+  conf: word;
+begin
+  WriteLn('message_api: WildCat! 4 read tests');
+  WriteLn;
+
+  if not DirectoryExists(SRC) then begin
+    WriteLn('SKIP (sample at ', SRC, ' missing)');
+    Halt(0);
+  end;
+
+  PrepareScratch;
+
+  { testdata has conferences 0..6.  Walk each one. }
+  for conf := 0 to 6 do
+    TestConference(conf);
+
+  Halt(TestsSummary);
+end.