Re: [OctDev] Google Summer of Code 2012: Call for projects and mentors

[Ben Abbott]

On Feb 16, 2012, at 8:28 AM, Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso wrote:

> Hi, Lukas.
> 
> 2012/2/16 Lukas Reichlin <address@hidden>:
>> On 14.02.2012, at 23:15, Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso wrote:
>> 
>>> Note that I think we should also consider Octave-Forge projects.
>>> Please add Octave-Forge projects to the wiki as you deem appropriate.
> 
>> I do have an idea for an Octave-Forge project: Improve the
>> "symbolic" package:
>> - use objects & classes of Octave to enable stuff like overloaded
>> methods for symbolic matrices. This could be done in C++ in a way
>> similar to Michele Martone's new "sparsersb" package.
> 
> This sounds worthwhile. If you're able to mentor such a project, add
> it to the wiki. We do get frequent requests for a working symbolic
> package, so it would be nice if it were actually useful for something.
> 
>> - include the ginac library into the package such that there are no
>> external libraries required. External libraries are often a pain in
>> the proverbial on certain platforms.
> 
> This isn't a solution. Bundling of libraries presents its own problem.
> It's the solution that proprietary software prefers, because
> proprietary software doesn't know how to cooperate very well with
> other software, proprietary or not (e.g. Windows and MacOS don't have
> a native packaging system). When everything's hidden and forbidden,
> everything hates everything else and it produces disharmony in the OS
> instead of collaboration between different parts.
> 
> The solution is to properly package GiNaC in whatever packaging system
> you personally happen to prefer for MacOS, which I think is the
> platform you regrettably are using.

Jordi, I agree with your thought on the value of a good packaging system.

At the same time, given that most MacOS users and WIndows users don't use 
packaging systems, and don't have developer tools installed.

For those who do have a packing system (including Linux users), how is the 
package makefile to know if a GiNaC is already installed? And if it isn't what 
to do?

My impression is some significant work is needed to accommodate octave packages 
that depend upon libraries that Octave does not. Perhaps this is another good 
project for GSoC?

Ben