Reviewing Octave Forge packages

Help reviewing Octave-Forge packages

We need help. Here is how:

1. Pick a package at https://sourceforge.net/p/octave/package-releases/
2. Copy the check-list below and fill it out, marking each box:
   • [x] for passed
   • [n/a] for non-applicable
   • [ ] for skipped (because you cannot do it, missing software, etc)
   • [F] for fails.
3. Paste your filled in check-list as a comment on the issue above

What happens next

An admin will try to look over your review and hopefully release the package. More than one person can review a package, in fact that would be great.

Checklist

[ ] release candidate installs on latest stable Octave release
[ ] no compiler errors or warnings
[ ] <code>pkg load foo</code> loads with errors or warnings
[ ] ran tests using <code>runtests /path/to/pkg</code>
[ ] ran all tests, including those in src (how??)
[ ] ran doctest on all functions (optional)
[ ] Above steps were run on Octave and OS versions:
     *  ________
     *  ________
[ ] tested with minimum Octave version list in DESCRIPTION
[ ] reasonable dependencies listed in DESCRIPTION
[ ] ran generate_package_html
[ ] no makeinfo errors and warnings during HTML build
[ ] unpacked and spot-checked the generated HTML documentation
[ ] NEWS file makes sense, version and date match
[ ] All functions are listed in INDEX

Other info

TODO: how does one check all functions are listed in INDEX?

TODO: add something about testing multiple OSes, or at least listing what OS we tested...

TODO: would be good to provide more specific instructions for when the package as a Maintainer Makefile? But we don't usually put the Maintainer Makefile in the .tar.gz package to do? (At least Doctest and Symbolic don't).

Meta helping

• Feel free to edit this wiki with explanations of the check list tasks
• Please do add (reasonable) tasks to the check list

Common problems

Here are some common problems that reviewers can check for

• INDEX is missing some new functions added
• NEWS has not been updated or is missing something big
• Version numbers or dates do not match between DESCRIPTION and NEWS
• Common makeinfo errors like "@bye seen before @end deftypefn"
• DESCRIPTION says pkg works with old Octave 4.x but it fails for me
• Obviously, compiler errors, warnings, test failures