Re: octave contributions (more): list mechanics, packages

[Thomas Weber]

On 30/01/08 09:58 -0500, Thomas L. Scofield wrote:
> Does this message start a new thread?  

If you send a new message, yes, it will start a new thread. "New" in
this context means that it is not an answer to an already existing
message. 

Technically, when you answer to an e-mail, it conveys the information to
which mail it is an answer. I don't know how good a client Apple's mail
client is for mailing lists, so you'll have to see for yourself.

Watch out to whom you reply. Often, if you hit only "reply", the message
will be sent to the individual poster only. So take care to at least CC
the list.

> How do I go about continuing/ adding to an old thread?  I received
> mail directly from John Eaton and Soren Hauberg when I wrote before.
> Am I correct in thinking that, to view responses in general, you must
> actively do so (i.e., use a browser and visit the list website)?

Eh, no. We are a lazy bunch and don't hunt around the web for
information. Instead, we are spending some time at the beach while the
computers do all the work. Well, scratch the beach, but the mailing list
software will send any mail that comes to the list to your account. The
web archive is just for convenience and helps finding answers to older
questions. Additionally, it is indexed by search engines.


> More generally, is it the case that the main code the people contribute 
> is generally portable to all main platforms?  

It should be. However, I don't think anybody on the list has access to
all architectures, so users have to test that stuff.


> Or is coding often a more subtle business, writing it on one machine,
> taking it to another and testing it, making changes, etc.?  I may have
> an opportunity at funds for a Windows machine, and I guess I need some
> insight as to whether there is the need/justification for it.

If you don't develop at the core of Octave, I'd say it is not much of an
issue. There are some typical things in scripts (what is used for
separating directories, ...), but that's what bug reports are for.

        Thomas