Editing Online Developer Meeting (2021-04-27)

* Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2021 @ 18:00 UTC
* Location: https://meet.jit.si/octave-dev-2021-04-27

== Todays topics ==

* Meet and greet 5 minutes before meeting (audio testing).

=== MXE Octave branches ===

* Which changes should go on which branch?
** "default": everything new
** "release": conservative updates
*** new Octave packages + dependent libraries (if necessary and applicable)
*** MXE libraries which have severe bugs / security issues.
* Which branch should the buildbots use?
** http://buildbot.octave.org:8010/ (jwe)
*** Probably add builders to jwe's buildbot that build the current Octave stable branch with MXE Octave's release branch.
*** Is there a way to trigger daily builds of the mxe builders only if there have been changes in Octave or MXE Octave.
** https://buildbot.octave.space/ (Kai)
*** General move to "release" branch (probably May)
*** One additional build of "w64" with "default" branch

=== Buildbots ===

* Find out how to trigger a build on changes in two repositories?
** Untested idea: https://github.com/gnu-octave/octave-buildbot/pull/9/files

=== GitHub ===

* Markus wants to try out using GitHub runners
** https://octave.discourse.group/t/ci-with-github-hosted-runners/1081
** Try out macOS runners
* Therefore a folder ".github" will be added to the Octave main repo
** Can be removed anytime if it proves as not useful.
* If other services (despite GitHub) are going to be tested, respective files might be added too.

=== String class strategy ===

* Strategy for transition to string class syntax (incompatible to current double-quoted character vectors in Octave)?
** Issue treatment of escape characters (first interpreted when Xprintf is applied).
*** https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/string.html
* Suggestion to implement an initial string class at one point
** Many existing Octave code (packages) might break.
** In the transition time using
*** Octave .oct-config files to manage how double quoted strings are treated
*** Implement convertStringsToChars and solve issue per function basis (Matlab compatible, probably straight forward, but many changes).
**** https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/convertstringstochars.html 
* Initial implementation by Andrew Janke
** https://github.com/apjanke/octave-tablicious/blob/master/inst/string.m
** http://blog.apjanke.net/2019/04/20/matlab-string-representation-is-a-mess.html

=== Classdef ===

* Wish to define classdef classes from C++ "nicely" (currently only from m-files comfortable usable).
* This would also help implementing the string class.

=== C++17 ===

* Updates: https://octave.discourse.group/t/using-c-17-features/1026
* Allow using more modern C++ dialects (C++17 STL std::filesystem or boost::filesystem)?
** qt6 requires C++17 https://www.qt.io/blog/qt-6.0-released
** gcc 8.x (2018) still not C++17 feature complete (e.g. std::filesystem cannot fully be used, no benefit)
*** https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/compiler_support#cpp17
*** https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/libstdc++/manual/status.html#status.iso.2017

General consensus was to stay with C++11 until a "killer application" shows up that rectifies changing to a newer standard.

=== Short introduction: SavannahAPI ===

* Former [https://octave.discourse.group/t/remaining-items-for-the-6-1-release/350 "Release burn down chart"].
* https://octave.space/savannah/

=== Bug Maintenance/Clean Up ===

:''The author of this topic did not attend the meeting.  There was a short discussion about [[GSoC]] and the [[Short projects]] page.''

There are already ~1600 open bugs at 1 min/bug this is over 1 day. 
This is not manageable. Many of these could be closed:

* Are complete because a new version is released {{bug|53576}}

* Can be implemented since there is a new version {{bug|50820}} notice comments 24 & 25

* Maintainers have the function but have not submitted it {{bug|58530}}

For preparing for [[GSoC]] it states to fix bugs, missing functions, etc.
The ideal scenario would mean being inundated with fixes, and new functions. 
A maintained [[Short projects]] page would be necessary to avoid comments as in {{bug|32088}}.

What is the best approach to resolving this?
* <strike>A new wiki page</strike> so one with permission can see all the "easy closes".
** Please reuse the [[Short projects]] page for this purpose, which is currently unmaintained.
* Pinging bugs/patches for a status update.
** Yes, always a good idea and this is basically what happens very slowly.  It would be great to see more volunteers triaging the bug and patch trackers.

== Previous topics ==
:''The following items were not discussed.  Just some links to progress on those items are displayed.''

=== Octave 7 ===

===== Improve graphics =====

* Consult professional OpenGL developer to review code '''Any news here?'''
** General agreement to spend Octave project money on this

===== Implement Matlabs new input validation =====

* jwe can create dummy tree-elements
** Problem if values are evaluated, the "right" action must be done
* Can those validation statements come at arbitrary positions or only at the beginning of the file?

===== Command Window Widget =====

* Updates: https://octave.discourse.group/t/new-command-window-widget/501/29

===== Backend code improvements =====

* "Ditch" old UNIX system functions (e.g. popen)
** https://octave.discourse.group/t/moving-posix-system-call-and-library-functions-out-of-core-octave/1027
** Move to package?
* performance of symbol lookup
** use <code>std::unordered_map</code>, rather than <code>std::map</code> to increase performance (e.g. of interpreter lookups)
** Potentially implement "import" keyword? That would probably slow down symbol lookup some more.
* Replace custom reference counters with implementation using <code>std::shared_ptr</code>
** Some instances are more difficult to replace. jwe will post something about this on the discourse forum.
* improve HDF5 integration

==== Testing Matlab code ====

* jwe will a single Discourse thread to ask for tests in Matlab
** Old Discourse threads many maintainers receive notifications.

==== Octave online service ====

* Similar to Matlab online
* There are already existing services
** https://cocalc.com/doc/octave.html
** https://octave-online.net/
* In general Jupyter-Notebook based solutions are already highly developed
* Running an own service lacks of manpower and financial resources

==== Documentation ====

* Updates: https://octave.discourse.group/t/function-reference-documentation/959/7 and bug {{bug|60313}}
* Split Octave manual https://octave.org/doc/latest into
** Function reference, like Octave Forge https://octave.sourceforge.io/docs.php
*** Prototype (Kai): https://octave.org/doc/ref/octave/overview.html
** Usage manual (like the current one, more detailed, without @docstrings)

== Ideas for next meeting ==

* 

== See also ==

* Next meeting: [[Online Developer Meeting (2021-05-25)]]
* Last meeting: [[Online Developer Meeting (2021-03-23)]]

[[Category:2021]]
[[Category:Meetings]]