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The list below summarizes features or bug fixes we would like to see in Octave. | The list below summarizes features or bug fixes we would like to see in Octave. This list is not exclusive -- there are many other things that might be good projects, but it might instead be something we already have. Also, some of the following items may not actually be considered good ideas now. | ||
{{Note|If you never contributed to Octave before, we suggest to start with our [[Developer FAQ]].}} | |||
Summer of Code students, please also see [[ | * Summer of Code students, please also see [[Summer of Code - Getting Started]]. | ||
* If you're looking for small project, see [[short projects]]. | |||
If you're looking for small project | |||
=Numerical= | =Numerical= | ||
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*Evaluate harmonics and cross-correlations of unevenly sampled and nonstationary time series, as in http://www.jstatsoft.org/v11/i02 (which has C code with interface to R). (This is now partly implemented in the [http://octave.sourceforge.net/lssa/index.html lssa] package.) | *Evaluate harmonics and cross-correlations of unevenly sampled and nonstationary time series, as in http://www.jstatsoft.org/v11/i02 (which has C code with interface to R). (This is now partly implemented in the [http://octave.sourceforge.net/lssa/index.html lssa] package.) | ||
== General purpose Finite Element library == | <!-- == General purpose Finite Element library == | ||
Octave-Forge already has a set of packages for discretizing Partial Differential operators by Finite Elements and/or Finite Volumes, | Octave-Forge already has a set of packages for discretizing Partial Differential operators by Finite Elements and/or Finite Volumes, | ||
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* create new functions specifically suited for Octave | * create new functions specifically suited for Octave | ||
* improve the efficiency of the code | * improve the efficiency of the code | ||
The main goal for the fem-fenics package is ultimately to be merged with the FEnics project itself, so that it can remain in-sync with the main library development. | The main goal for the fem-fenics package is ultimately to be merged with the FEnics project itself, so that it can remain in-sync with the main library development. --> | ||
== Implement solver for initial-boundary value problems for parabolic-elliptic PDEs in 1D == | == Implement solver for initial-boundary value problems for parabolic-elliptic PDEs in 1D == | ||
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Details on the methods to be implemented can be found in [http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/502800.502801 this paper] on bvp4c and [http://www.jnaiam.net/new/uploads/files/014dde86eef73328e7ab674d1a32aa9c.pdf this paper] on bvp5c. Further details are available in [http://books.google.it/books/about/Nonlinear_two_point_boundary_value_probl.html?id=s_pQAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y this book]. | Details on the methods to be implemented can be found in [http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/502800.502801 this paper] on bvp4c and [http://www.jnaiam.net/new/uploads/files/014dde86eef73328e7ab674d1a32aa9c.pdf this paper] on bvp5c. Further details are available in [http://books.google.it/books/about/Nonlinear_two_point_boundary_value_probl.html?id=s_pQAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y this book]. | ||
== Geometric integrators for Hamiltonian Systems == | <!-- == Geometric integrators for Hamiltonian Systems == | ||
[http://openlibrary.org/books/OL9056139M/Geometric_Numerical_Integration Geometric (AKA Symplectic) integrators] are useful for | [http://openlibrary.org/books/OL9056139M/Geometric_Numerical_Integration Geometric (AKA Symplectic) integrators] are useful for | ||
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* SHAKE, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_algorithm here] or [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-9991(77)90098-5 here] | * SHAKE, see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint_algorithm here] or [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-9991(77)90098-5 here] | ||
* RATTLE, see [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-9991(83)90014-1 here] or [http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcc.540161003 here] | * RATTLE, see [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-9991(83)90014-1 here] or [http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcc.540161003 here] | ||
--> | |||
== Matlab-compatible ODE solvers in core-Octave == | == Matlab-compatible ODE solvers in core-Octave == | ||
* | * Improve handling of sparse Jacobians in IDE/DAE solvers | ||
* | ** Currently, in the IDA wrapper function __ode15__ an over conservative guess for the amount of memory to be allocated when assembling a sparse jacobian is used, essentially allocating enough space for a full jacobian then freeing the excess memory, an initial patch for fixing this has been posted on the tracker, for integrating this into Octave it must be generalized to support prior versions of SUNDIALS | ||
** Currently Jacobians passed by the user in Octave's sparse matrix format are copied into SUNDIALS own sparse matrix format. Newer versions of SUNDIALS (5.x or higher) support letting the user take care of the linear algebra data structures and methods thus removing the need for the copy. Taking advantage of this feature would improve the solver performance both in terms of memory footprint and speed. | |||
** References | |||
***[https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?func=detailitem&item_id=55905 tracker post about memory allocation] | |||
***[https://computing.llnl.gov/projects/sundials/release-history SUNDIALS release history] | |||
* Implement Matlab compatible versions of "deval". | * Implement Matlab compatible versions of "deval". | ||
* Complete transition of ode23s into core Octave | |||
** [https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?57309 Bug tracker entry discussing ode23s] | |||
== High Precision Arithmetic Computation == | == High Precision Arithmetic Computation == | ||
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*Use nanosleep instead of usleep if it is available? Apparently nanosleep is to be preferred over usleep on Solaris systems. | *Use nanosleep instead of usleep if it is available? Apparently nanosleep is to be preferred over usleep on Solaris systems. | ||
== Improve JIT compiling == | == Improve JIT compiling == | ||
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* Implement one-to-many (Broadcast, Scatter), many-to-one (Reduce, Gather), and many-to-many (All Reduce, Allgather) communication routines | * Implement one-to-many (Broadcast, Scatter), many-to-one (Reduce, Gather), and many-to-many (All Reduce, Allgather) communication routines | ||
=Graphics= | = Graphics = | ||
* | * Correctly handle case where DISPLAY is unset. Provide --no-window-system or --nodisplay (?) option. Provide --display=DISPLAY option? How will this work with gnuplot (i.e., how do we know whether gnuplot requires an X display to display graphics)? | ||
* Implement a Cairo-based renderer for 2D-only graphics, with support for PS/PDF/SVG output (for printing). | * Implement a Cairo-based renderer for 2D-only graphics, with support for PS/PDF/SVG output (for printing). | ||
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* On 'imagesc' plots, report the matrix values also based on the mouse position, updating on mouse moving. | * On 'imagesc' plots, report the matrix values also based on the mouse position, updating on mouse moving. | ||
* Add map-creating capabilities similar to the Matlab [ | * Add map-creating capabilities similar to the Matlab [https://www.mathworks.com/help/map/functionlist.html Mapping toolbox] for inclusion in the Octave Forge [https://sourceforge.net/p/octave/mapping mapping package]. | ||
* Add data cursor to trace data values in figure. | * Add data cursor to trace data values in figure. | ||
== Non-OpenGL renderer == | == Non-OpenGL renderer == | ||
Besides the original gnuplot backend, Octave also contains an OpenGL-based renderer for advanced and more powerful 3D plots. However, OpenGL is not perfectly suited for 2D-only plots where other methods could result in better graphics. The purpose of this project is to implement an alternate graphics renderer for 2D only plots (although 3D is definitely not the focus, extending the new graphics renderer to support basic 3D features should also be taken into account). There is no particular toolkit/library that must be used, but natural candidates are: | Besides the original gnuplot backend, Octave also contains an OpenGL-based renderer for advanced and more powerful 3D plots. However, OpenGL is not perfectly suited for 2D-only plots where other methods could result in better graphics. The purpose of this project is to implement an alternate graphics renderer for 2D only plots (although 3D is definitely not the focus, extending the new graphics renderer to support basic 3D features should also be taken into account). There is no particular toolkit/library that must be used, but natural candidates are: | ||
* [http://qt.nokia.com Qt]: the GUI is currently written in Qt | * [http://qt.nokia.com Qt]: the GUI is currently written in Qt | ||
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_%28software%29 Cairo]: this library is widely used and known to provides high-quality graphics with support for PS/PDF/SVG output. | * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_%28software%29 Cairo]: this library is widely used and known to provides high-quality graphics with support for PS/PDF/SVG output. | ||
== | == LaTeX markup == | ||
:The matplotlib project [http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/usetex.html has already done this in Python] and might be used as an example of how to do this in Octave | Text objects in plots (like titles, labels, texts...) in the OpenGL renderer only support plain text and TeX. The latter consists of a very limited subset of the TeX language. On the other hand, the LaTeX formatting support is expected to provide full LaTeX capabilities. There are various approaches that can be used: | ||
* Use an external LaTeX engine: this is the most straightforward, but it requires users to install a LaTeX distribution and setup Octave to use it. | |||
* Use an external library that supports LaTeX syntax, e.g. [https://github.com/opencollab/jlatexmath JLaTeXMath] a Java API to display LaTeX code, [https://github.com/nathancarter/qtmathjax qtmathjax] a Qt based library that executes MathJax in a background web page. | |||
* Implement our own LaTeX parser and renderer. The matplotlib project [http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/usetex.html has already done this in Python] and might be used as an example of how to do this in Octave. There is also [https://github.com/jkriege2/JKQtPlotter JKQtPlotter], a Qt based plotting application which implements its own LaTeX parser/renderer in C++. | |||
=History= | =History= | ||
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*Fix history problems — core dump if multiple processes are writing to the same history file? | *Fix history problems — core dump if multiple processes are writing to the same history file? | ||
=Configuration and Installation= | = Configuration and Installation = | ||
*Makefile changes: | * Makefile changes: | ||
**eliminate for loops | ** eliminate for loops | ||
**define shell commands or eliminate them | ** define shell commands or eliminate them | ||
**consolidate targets | ** consolidate targets | ||
*Create a docs-only distribution? | * Create a docs-only distribution? | ||
=Documentation= | |||
:''See [[Project - Documentation]].'' | |||
=Documentation | |||
=Tests= | =Tests= | ||
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**Tests for various functions. Would be nice to have a test file corresponding to every function (see below) | **Tests for various functions. Would be nice to have a test file corresponding to every function (see below) | ||
**Tests for element by element operators: + - .* ./ .\ .^ | & < <= == >= > != ! | **Tests for element by element operators: + - .* ./ .\ .^ | & < <= == >= > != ! | ||
*** thorough tests for power operator including corner cases and strange combinations such as complex .^ range. | |||
**Tests for boolean operators: && || | **Tests for boolean operators: && || | ||
**Tests for other operators: * / \ ' .' | **Tests for other operators: * / \ ' .' | ||
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*Reduce the amount of datatypes in liboctave. | *Reduce the amount of datatypes in liboctave. | ||
*Re-implement operators using templates and modern C++. Current system evolved before templates and makes extensive use of macros to define interactions between scalar<->scalar, scalar<->matrix, scalar<->float, etc., etc. | |||
**In liboctave, the directory to work on is liboctave/operators | |||
**In libinterp, the directory to work on is libinterp/operators | |||
**In libinterp, there is also xpow.cc, xdiv.cc in libinterp/corefcn | |||
=Miscellaneous= | =Miscellaneous= | ||
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* Help prepare and deliver presentations and [[Publications about Octave]] at colleges and universities. | * Help prepare and deliver presentations and [[Publications about Octave]] at colleges and universities. | ||
== Improve Windows binary packaging == | == Improve Windows binary packaging == | ||
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We would like to be able to easily generate binary packages for macOS. Right now, it's difficult and tedious to do so. Most OS X users install Octave using one of the source-based package managers such as Homebrew or MacPorts. Any way to help us build a binary package would be appreciated. Required knowledge is understanding how building binaries in macOS works. Our current approach to building binaries for Windows is to cross-compile from a GNU system using [http://mxe.cc/ MXE], something similar may be possible for OS X ([http://lilypond.org/gub/ GUB]?). | We would like to be able to easily generate binary packages for macOS. Right now, it's difficult and tedious to do so. Most OS X users install Octave using one of the source-based package managers such as Homebrew or MacPorts. Any way to help us build a binary package would be appreciated. Required knowledge is understanding how building binaries in macOS works. Our current approach to building binaries for Windows is to cross-compile from a GNU system using [http://mxe.cc/ MXE], something similar may be possible for OS X ([http://lilypond.org/gub/ GUB]?). | ||
There is a third-party project called [http://octave-app.org "Octave.app"] that creates and distributes macOS builds of Octave as a Mac app bundle. It is built on top of Homebrew and a set of custom Octave-related Homebrew formuale. | |||
'''Skills Required''': Knowledge of GNU build systems, Makefiles, configure files, chasing library dependencies, how to use a compiler. If you choose to work on GUB, Python will be required. No m-scripting or C++ necessary, beyond understanding [http://david.rothlis.net/c/compilation_model/ the C++ compilation model]. | '''Skills Required''': Knowledge of GNU build systems, Makefiles, configure files, chasing library dependencies, how to use a compiler. If you choose to work on GUB, Python will be required. No m-scripting or C++ necessary, beyond understanding [http://david.rothlis.net/c/compilation_model/ the C++ compilation model]. | ||
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=Performance= | =Performance= | ||
*A profiler for Octave would be a very useful tool. And now we have one! But it really needs a better interface. | * A profiler for Octave would be a very useful tool. And now we have one! But it really needs a better interface. | ||
*Having {{Codeline|parfor}} functioning would speed code development and execution now that multicore architectures are widespread. See [http://octave.1599824.n4.nabble.com/Parfor-td4630575.html here] and [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24970519/how-to-use-parallel-for-loop-in-octave-or-scilab here]. Existing code from the [[Parallel package | parallel]] and [http://octave.sourceforge.net/mpi/index.html mpi] packages could perhaps be adapted for this. | * Having {{Codeline|parfor}} functioning would speed code development and execution now that multicore architectures are widespread. See [http://octave.1599824.n4.nabble.com/Parfor-td4630575.html here] and [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24970519/how-to-use-parallel-for-loop-in-octave-or-scilab here]. Existing code from the [[Parallel package | parallel]] and [http://octave.sourceforge.net/mpi/index.html mpi] packages could perhaps be adapted for this. | ||
* Develop a performance benchmark for Octave (interpreter, load/save, plotting, etc., but not simply tests of underlying libraries such as BLAS or LAPACK). This benchmark could be run periodically to make sure that changes during development do not introduce regressions in performance. | |||
=Packaging= | =Packaging= | ||