Generic graphics generation

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I generate graphics for my dissertation with *.py (python/pylab) and *.m
(MATLAB) files. It would be nice to allow users to easily customize support
for graphics generated by arbitrary programs.

--JK

Original issue reported on code.google.com by jeffery....@gmail.com on 9 Apr 2009 at 4:46

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Can you give a more detailed proposal?

Original comment by shiblon on 10 Apr 2009 at 1:47

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Each command I use for graphics generation is (or is easily changed to)

$PROGRAM $OPTIONS $INFILE

In my case, since I use both matlab and python, I'd probably let
$PROGRAM be some shell script which I wrote that does the rest of the
work. Maybe something like the following could fit in Makefile.ini:

graphcisProgram := ./myGraphicsScript.sh
graphicsSrcExt := *.m,*.py
graphicsFileExt := *.eps
graphicsProgramOpt := --color=yes --format=eps

or if I just used Matlab
graphcisProgram :=  matlab
graphicsSrcExt := *.m
graphicsFileExt := *.eps
graphicsProgramOpt := -nodisplay <

Original comment by jeffery....@gmail.com on 10 Apr 2009 at 5:03

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I was just about to suggest that you try something out in Makefile.ini first :) 
 That
will, among other things, allow you to refine what it is that you want to do 
and test
that it actually works.

Because it is included wholesale, you can also specify targets in Makefile.ini
(replace <tab> with real tabs):

%.eps: %.m
<tab>some_matlab_processor $< $@  # matlab script that takes two filenames

%.eps: %.py
<tab>python $< > $@  # python that puts eps output on stdout

I'd be interested to see if that works for you.  If so, we can start thinking of
interesting general solutions.

Original comment by shiblon on 10 Apr 2009 at 5:22

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Yes, this worked! 

This prompts a suggestion - include a Makefile.ini in the tarball with some
commented-out text, similar to your response above. I have little Makefile 
knowhow,
but your response was just enough for me to accomplish what I wanted.

Thank you for the advice and the makefile.

Original comment by jeffery....@gmail.com on 21 Apr 2009 at 3:36

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I think that I'd rather not include anything but the single makefile at this 
point,
although your suggestion is not a bad one.

For this particular case, since you have something working that you like, I'd 
like to
see your working Makefile.ini, and would like to brainstorm about how to make 
this an
integral feature of the makefile.

I was thinking that it would be good for us to establish some kind of 
convention for
script-generated output in general, like naming things .eps.py or .tex.py, etc.,
indicating what the .py (or .sh, or .pl, etc.) is supposed to generate.

Thoughts welcome!

Original comment by shiblon on 1 May 2009 at 2:00

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Old issue - marking WontFix.  If you want me to reopen it, I'd be happy to do 
so and 
continue the discussion.

Original comment by shiblon on 19 Nov 2009 at 6:53

• Changed state: WontFix

[GoogleCodeExporter]

hi shiblon, I am using your makefile quite often for my research. So thanks 
heaps for your effort, it's awesome!
Anyway, I would really like to have a feature in it like described above i.e. 
generating graphics with python/matlab... with the makefile.
I also like your idea with *.eps.py and so on. 
So if you think that's possible to realise, I would really appreciate having 
the makefile watching the dependancies.
Cheers, Andy

Original comment by a.lwt...@googlemail.com on 30 Nov 2011 at 7:17