Re: Add tclab to forge repository?

[Kai Torben Ohlhus]

On 6/10/20 9:12 AM, John Hedengren wrote:
> I'm working on an Octave package for teaching programming and control
> called tclab. We have a similar package on pypi for Python:
> https://pypi.org/project/tclab/ available with *pip install tclab*. 
> Here is more information on the community initiative:
> https://apmonitor.com/heat.htm
> 
> What are the qualifications for adding a new package to forge? I'd like
> to make it available with:
> *
> *
> *pkg install -forge tclab *
> 
> The web-site recommended that I join this group and start a discussion
> on adding it. It looks like many of the other packages are substantial
> toolboxes and this is only a small .m script to facilitate the Arduino
> lab connection - I'm not sure if it belongs.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> John Hedengren
> GEKKO Optimization Suite
> https://machinelearning.byu.edu
> 


Dear John Hedengren,

Thank you for your interest in creating an Octave package.  The
requirements for Octave Forge are listed here [1].  Please note, that an
Octave package is not necessarily an Octave "Forge" package.  Octave
Forge I would define as "managed hosting location for general purpose
packages".

It seems to me, you are maintaining a special purpose package for a
distinct audience (students of your university), that requires a special
hardware, that is only available in your lab?  I think in your case
using Octave Forge might not be worth the effort then.

If your students are using GNU Octave and your Octave code is built as
Octave package [2], you can tell your students to install packages by
giving an URL to an Octave package archive.  For example pythonic [3]:

  pkg install
https://gitlab.com/mtmiller/octave-pythonic/-/archive/v0.0.1/octave-pythonic-v0.0.1.tar.gz

This works with Octave 4.4 and newer.  The URL is admittedly a little
longer, but I think this is for your project the way to go.

Kai

[1] https://octave.sourceforge.io/developers.php
[2] https://octave.org/doc/v5.2.0/Creating-Packages.html#Creating-Packages
[3] https://gitlab.com/mtmiller/octave-pythonic