Re: [Axiom-developer] Software Archaeology/Patches

[root]

Martin,

>Concerning Software Archaeology, I agree. However, much of the code -- 
>especially COMBF -- is very easy to understand. Therefore I suppose the 
>best thing is to write documentation, both on new and old code, as bugs 
>are discovered and fixed. In this spirit I volunteer to document those 
>functions in COMBF and FS that I understand now. Before I do so, I only 
>ask for a "go ahead" by some key developer, because I don't want to waste 
>my time.

You have my permission (though you don't need it) to document parts
of the system you understand. See src/interp/setvart and 
src/interp/setvars for examples.

>Unfortunately, I also have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed: I
>submitted a patch which fixes a problem that turned up in Wester's
>test-suite -- no reaction. I posted some questions -- no reaction. A
>simple (private) "sorry, I don't know - interesting question" or "sorry, I
>don't know, - but it's a stupid question anyway" would help a lot. At the
>moment, there aren't that many developers around so that it would result
>in flooding my email account.

Your email hasn't been ignored. It's just queued behind others. 
I know it feels like it's being ignored, a feeling email tends to
generate. The best path is to file a bug report on the axiom website.
That makes a permanent record. It may already be there as David Mentre
manages that.

As to the actual state of your questions... I looked at the code 
initially when you sent the problem but didn't understand it well
enough to comment. Then when your patch arrived it got queued in 
the list of patches to apply. I'm currently working on replying/fixing
a very large system hole. There was a mail question about 
numericalIntegration and I'm working to fix that problem (the fix 
essentially involves building a replacement for the missing NAG libs
which has morphed into deeper changes).

For domain questions like this one of three events occur. Either 
someone has an answer directly and replies, you find a fix and
send it to me and it (eventually) gets applied, or I study the
problem and generate a fix. The last case takes a lot of time since
Axiom knows a lot more math than I do (witness the last few emails
about Clifford Algebras which I can barely read). Documentation is
sorely needed. I try to document everything I touch (yet another
source of time lag).

I apologize for not at least sending you an acknowledgement that
I recieved your mail. I assure you that I read everything that goes by
and track it as best I can.

Tim