Re: User Function

[Etienne Grossmann]

  Hello,

From: Paul Kienzle <address@hidden>

#  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.

  CVS is very convenient when you have many developers who work on the
same files. However it is possible for a single developer to goof and
mess up files, so it is good to double check before commiting
changes. I don't know how to set up a CVS server with remote/secure
shell interface, but I doubt it is very hard; Sourceforge allows just
this. I am already a little bit familiar with CVS : I use it for my
m-files and for the FreeWRL project, on Sourceforge.

[snip]

#  Tricky problems are:
[snip]
#          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.

  I have been using a homemade script for finding dependencies amongst
my functions. It has glitches, by I'm fixing them. I used it to pack
my latest bundles of vrml tools and Newton-like optimization tools
(http://anonimo.isr.ist.utl.pt/~etienne/octave). 

  Cheers,

  Etienne