mdev: Maple DEVelopment tool

This file presents the Perl script mdev. This script is designed to help the development of Maple packages by providing a programming environment and a few tools, such as a simple preprocessor and a makefile.

With mdev, it is not necessary to know how the Maple packages work. Just enter the Maple functions and variables of your package. mdev creates the file that implements the package and takes care of the Maple archives (including the variable libname, provided that you have the standard Maple initialization file .mapleinit in your home directory. If not, then create such an empty file).

Note: in order to make mdev work, you must follow a few conventions that are described further in this file.

Get and install the script

The source file of the script mdev can be found here. Copy this file, add the symbolic link mdev into some directory that is in your $PATH. In the source file, edit the variable $COPYRIGHT.

Programming environment

The script mdev assumes that you have somewhere in your file system a directory named maple . Within this directory, a programming environment for the package MyPack is created by invoking the command mdev -t MyPack. This command creates the following directories and files.

• MyPack/src: this is where the .mpl source files should go;
• MyPack/src/TODO: empty file, the things that remain to be done are listed here;
• MyPack/src/todo: empty directory, this is where files that need to be worked further should go;
• MyPack/src/trash: empty directory, this is where you put your trash files;
• MyPack/src/description.mpl: this .mpl file should contain the description of the package; it is included in the file that implements the package;
• MyPack/src/macros.mi: this file contains a few default Maple's preprocessor macros; it is included in the file that implements the package;
• MyPack/src/license: empty file, this is where the license text should go; this text is commented and included in the file that implements the package; this may be a symbolic link to MyPack/LPGL-license;
• MyPack/src/lastversion: file containing the version numbers. The major version number is to be set manually, while the minor version number is automatic;
• MyPack/doc: this is where the .mws documentation files should go;
• MyPack/doc/makedoc.mpl: this file maps the help topics to the .mws files and it is used to build the maple.hdb file;
• MyPack/old: this directory contains the backups;
• MyPack/release: this directory contains the Maple archive and it is added to the variable libname;
• MyPack/test: this is where you do your tests;
• MyPack/function-header.mpl: this file gives a prototype of header for writing the Maple code;
• MyPack/LGPL-license: text of the GNU LGPL licence.

This programming environment has been designed such that it is convenient to work with and that the code is clearly organized.

Writing the source code

The code processed by mdev must be enclosed in a block. A block starts by the tag #<<< and ends by the tag #>>> ; both tags must be put at the beginning of a line. Anything outside a block is ignored. mdev knows a few keywords, which are described below. All keywords start by the special symbol @ and must be put in a comment, since they are not part of the Maple syntax, and within a block.

Function

The source code of a function is to be put into a block. The name of the function is determined to be the first name that is assigned to a procedure, and that is not in a comment. The scope of a function within the package is, by default, local. The keyword @scope allows to set the scope of the function.

• @scope=local: the function is declared local within the package;
• @scope=export: the function is declared export within the package;
• @scope=global: the function is declared global within the package;
• @scope=extern: the function is not part of the package, but it is available as a global function.

The keyword @load specifies that the corresponding function is used for the initialization of the package.

The keyword @noinclude instructs the script not to include the function in the package.

Variable

The variables can also be scoped. The following instructions only declare the variables; initialization can be done by @rawinclude.

• @sharevar=MyVar: the variable MyVar is declared local within the package;
• @globalvar=MyVar: the variable MyVar is declared global within the package.

Miscellaneous

Other keywords are listed below.

• @exit: the script will not process till the end of the file;
• @rawinclude: the block is put at the end of the file that implements the package; this instruction is mainly used to initialize variables;
• @macro: should be used with @rawinclude; put the block at the beginning of the file that implements the package.

Script invokations

The script mdev supports the following invokations.

• mdev [-h | --help]: display a help on mdev;
• mdev -b | --backup : backup the source directory;
• mdev -d | --debug [AnotherPack]: create the file that implements the package in debug mode (all members are exported) and update the library associated to the package AnotherPack, or the library of the current package if not specified;
• mdev -D | --documentation [AnotherPack]: update the library maple.hdb that is associated to the package AnotherPack, or the library of the current package if not specified;
• mdev -l | --library : recreate the Maple library of the current package; this feature is present because Maple libraries may crash sometimes;
• mdev -m | --make [AnotherPack]: create the file that implements the package and update the library associated to the package AnotherPack, or the library of the current package if not specified;
• mdev -t | --template MyPack: create the programming environment for the package called MyPack;
• mdev -v | --version : read read the version number of the current project.

Note: the possibility of updating libraries of other packages is interesting for preparing a software distribution that gathers several packages.

Example

The example below shows the sequence of instructions for writing a simple package.

> pwd
$HOME/maple                  # must be in the maple directory
> mdev -t MyPack             # create the programming environment
> cd MyPack/src
> xemacs myfunction.mpl      # edit the function 'myfunction'
> mdev -m                    # create the package and update the archive
> maple
    |\^/|     Maple 8 (DEC ALPHA UNIX)
._|\|   |/|_. Copyright (c) 2002 by Waterloo Maple Inc.
 \  MAPLE  /  All rights reserved. Maple is a registered trademark of
 <____ ____>  Waterloo Maple Inc.
      |       Type ? for help.
> with(MyPack);
             [myfunction]

LM, Created: 05/31/03 - Last update: 10/14/03