Re: use of xlsread in Octave

[PhilipNienhuis]

PhilipNienhuis wrote
> Hi Jean Rene,
> <snip>
> JR Cliche wrote:
>> Hello Philip,
>>
>> I am using Octave 3.7.2+, and I am having problem with the function
>> xlsread.m.
>>
>> I have the io package version 1.2.1. I ensure to do pkg load all at the
>> prompt.
>>
>> When I use xlsread, I get:
>> "java_invoke is obsolete and will be removed from a future version of
>> Octave, please use javaMethod instead"
> 
> I suppose you use Michael Goffioul's 3.7.2+ MSVC binary.
> 
> 1. What you see is just a warning, you can ignore that. You only see it 
> once per Octave session.
> 
> 2. A more profound issue is that the 3.7.2+ binary is really a 
> developers snapshot, ordinary users do have to expect to run into 
> problems and indeed - it seems you have.
> 
> 3. As to developers snapshots, I'm a bit reluctant to provide much 
> support for their general use. Those snapshots are only made for testing.
> But OK I'll just give some hints below. Maybe others will help you
> further.
> 
> Java is built-in in that 3.7.2+ version. So that traditional stumbling 
> block has been conquered - you don't need to install the java package.
> A next thing then is to hunt for the Java class libs required for 
> spreadsheet I/O, and to add them to the javaclasspath.
> In the ./doc subdir of the io package you'll find adequate info on this. 
> Just put all class libs together in some subdir (I usually use 
> ./lib/java) and invoke chk_spreadsheet_support.m to add them to the 
> javaclasspath.

It just occurred to me that the above hints are probably all futile.
The Java package has been moved into core Octave and is already in the dev
version, incl. 3.7.2+ you use. Along that course that Java subsystem has
changed quite a bit, so much that the Java stuff in the io package doesn't
work anymore with 3.7.2+.
Futhermore, since the 3.7.2+ windows binary was made, several bugs have been
found in that new Java subsystem that affect the io package. Only once these
have been solved I can proceed making a new io package.

I do have a io package version patched to present 3.7.3+ state (being io pkg
maintainer of course I have) but as the Octave dev version is still unstable
I'm not going to disseminate it - support would be an undue time-consuming
affair for me. 

So your only options for xlsread are:

1. Just use the stable Windows version (there's a very usable 3.6.4 MinGW
binary available). Why didn't you use that in the first place?

2. Wait until a new stable version incl. experimental GUI is available (this
summer). Usually OF packages (like the io package) lag a bit behind so you
might have to wait even a little bit longer.

3. Use the windows package (COM/ActiveX) for xlsread. It has to be patched
however.
In the thread "xlsread in Octave 3.6.4" you'll find hints how to patch it so
that it works with Octave 3.7.2+. In fact that's the setup that worked for
me.

Philip




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