Presubmission Inquiry for MontePy

[MicahGale]

Submitting Author: @micahgale Package Name: MontePy One-Line Description of Package: A python library for reading, editing, and writing MCNP input files. Repository Link (if existing): https://github.com/idaholab/MontePy/ EiC: TBD

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Code of Conduct & Commitment to Maintain Package

• [x] I agree to abide by pyOpenSci's Code of Conduct during the review process and in maintaining my package after should it be accepted.
• [x] I have read and will commit to package maintenance after the review as per the pyOpenSci Policies Guidelines.

Description

• Include a brief paragraph describing what your package does:

MontePy is a python library for reading, editing, and writing MCNP input files. Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) is a Monte Carlo radiation transport code that is used extensively in nuclear engineering and medical physics. MCNP has a long legacy and predates XML, JSON, YAML, etc. so its input files use a completely custom syntax. MontePy is able to read this syntax and create an object oriented pythonic interface to the MCNP input file.

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Scope

• Please indicate which category or categories this package falls under:

  • [ ] Data retrieval
  • [ ] Data extraction
  • [ ] Data processing/munging
  • [ ] Data deposition
  • [ ] Data validation and testing
  • [ ] Data visualization
  • [x] Workflow automation
  • [ ] Citation management and bibliometrics
  • [ ] Scientific software wrappers
  • [ ] Database interoperability

Domain Specific

• [ ] Geospatial
• [ ] Education

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• Explain how and why the package falls under these categories (briefly, 1-2 sentences). For community partnerships, check also their specific guidelines as documented in the links above. Please note any areas you are unsure of:

MontePy provides an object-oriented interface to MCNP input file, and is designed to automate working with these files as the first stage of a workflow.

• Who is the target audience and what are the scientific applications of this package?

The target audience is any python user who uses MCNP. This includes nuclear engineers, nuclear physicists, medical physicists, and those studying cosmic rays.

• Are there other Python packages that accomplish similar things? If so, how does yours differ?

There is also MCNPy reports to provide similar features. I have been unable to verify this as I have been unable to install it. MontePy is different by being written purely in python, and not java, and having a publicly accessible github, that anyone can open an issue for.

• Any other questions or issues we should be aware of:

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[cmarmo]

Hi @MicahGale, thank you for reaching out to pyOpenSci! I'm Chiara , Editor in chief for the next three months. I'm pretty sure that MontePy is in scope with our editorial line, as it is meant to support scientific workflows manipulating specific data formats. Would you mind opening a new submission issue referencing this pre-submission? Thank you.

[MicahGale]

Will do!