From octave-maintainers-request at bevo dot che dot wisc dot edu Thu Oct 12 04:46:08 2000 Subject: Re: User Function From: Paul Kienzle To: "Julian A. de Marchi, Ph.D." Cc: Octave Maintainers Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 10:44:40 +0100 I have already been gathering user contributed functions, or at least those that are compatible with matlab functions. For a list of functions available, see http://users.powernet.co.uk/kienzle/matcompat or download at http://users.powernet.co.uk/kienzle/matcompat.tar.gz This has been a labour intensive process, though I do have a script to convert the function database into a web interface automatically. However, file uploads and entries into the database must be done by hand. Automating this so that users could contribute functions automatically would be nice. Maybe an e-mail interface like the current bug_report function in octave? A web-based interface doesn't seem right since it will be hard to get the files in the right place, and an ftp-based interface is more awkward to use. Maybe CVS, but I've never used it. Even with CVS, it would be nice to have a mail interface for occasional contributors. I'm torn about the organization of the database. The choices which make sense are by author and by category. By author is convenient from an administration perspective (authors are responsible for their own contributions), but inconvenient from a users perspective (difficult for them to find the functions they need). I chose to organize things by category. In retrospect, organizing them by author or by package and using install to put things into categories might be better. Tricky problems are: functions which are different for 2.0.x and 2.1.x functions which fix existing octave functions, and so may or may not have already been included in more recent versions of octave patches to octave sources (2.0.x or 2.1.x) --- particularly a problem since they may be dependent on minor version number, and since some scripts may depend on the patches to work functions which disappear from the network for whatever reason --- you need to mirror packages and point to the original source functions with numerous dependencies --- it would be nice to package all the libraries needed, and let the user get more up to date libraries from the original source if they need them. WARNING: some of these are big. Assuming the entire database is too large to handle as one big distribution (which with dependencies like qhull, GiNaC and SuperLU may already be the case), it will be necessary to distribute parts of the database. That means we will have to keep track of dependencies so that we can generate appropriate subsets automatically. Paul Kienzle pkienzle at kienzle dot powernet dot co dot uk On Wed, Oct 11, 2000 at 12:17:54AM -0400, Julian A. de Marchi, Ph.D. wrote: > I've maintained for some time that this ought to be on the > octave.sourceforge.net site (my personal vote). The site is not quite > defunct, but needs a breath of fresh enthusiasm. In any case, wherever this > site ends up is also where the matlinks octave compatibility page would be > moved (matlinks.net/matcompat.html). I think Paul Kienzle would agree with > this, and also he's written some Perl to help automate updates to this page. > I admit I've been on a hiatus myself! Travels, travails... But matlinks > will also receive a breath of fresh air in the coming weeks. > > Cheers, > Julian > (MatLinks.net) > > ps Wouldn't Linus find this a cruftig dialogue? Is that his email address > or does it just look like it? > > : -----Original Message----- > : From: help-octave-request at bevo dot che dot wisc dot edu > : [mailto:help-octave-request at bevo dot che dot wisc dot edu]On Behalf Of Cederik De > : Leon A > : Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 12:08 > : To: Octave Help List > : Subject: User Function > : > : > : Hi list: > : I wrote to John about a site with the User Contributed > : Funtions, so i need sugestions and your help. > : > : 1) How we can organize the info (user contribs)? > : a)Area > : b)Aplications > : etc... > : > : 2)How submit the info. > : > : 3)? > : > : Please i need ideas... > : Who's first? > : > : I will mantain the page, mails and documentation about, and maybe > : a mailing-List > : > : Regards... > : now: from México > : -- > : Cederik > : > : Linux OpenSource (tm) > : Rayón #523 > : Colonia Centro > : CP 58000 > : Morelia Michoacán > : México > : Tel/Fax: +52 4 3128724 > : +52 4 3173945 > : CELL: +52 4 3745505 > : > : http://cederik.linuxave.net/ > : > : > : > : ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > : Octave is freely available under the terms of the GNU GPL. > : > : Octave's home on the web: http://www.che.wisc.edu/octave/octave.html > : How to fund new projects: http://www.che.wisc.edu/octave/funding.html > : Subscription information: http://www.che.wisc.edu/octave/archive.html > : ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > : > >