Re: use of xlsread in Octave

[Sergei Steshenko]

--- On Sun, 5/12/13, PhilipNienhuis <address@hidden> wrote:

> From: PhilipNienhuis <address@hidden>
> Subject: Re: use of xlsread in Octave
> To: address@hidden
> Date: Sunday, May 12, 2013, 11:34 PM
> PhilipNienhuis wrote
> > Hi Jean Rene,
> > <snip>
> > JR Cliche wrote:
> >> Hello Philip,
> >>
> >> I am using Octave 3.7.2+, and I am having problem
> with the function
> >> xlsread.m.
> >>
> >> I have the io package version 1.2.1. I ensure to do
> pkg load all at the
> >> prompt.
> >>
> >> When I use xlsread, I get:
> >> "java_invoke is obsolete and will be removed from a
> future version of
> >> Octave, please use javaMethod instead"
> > 
> > I suppose you use Michael Goffioul's 3.7.2+ MSVC
> binary.
> > 
> > 1. What you see is just a warning, you can ignore that.
> You only see it 
> > once per Octave session.
> > 
> > 2. A more profound issue is that the 3.7.2+ binary is
> really a 
> > developers snapshot, ordinary users do have to expect
> to run into 
> > problems and indeed - it seems you have.
> > 
> > 3. As to developers snapshots, I'm a bit reluctant to
> provide much 
> > support for their general use. Those snapshots are only
> made for testing.
> > But OK I'll just give some hints below. Maybe others
> will help you
> > further.
> > 
> > Java is built-in in that 3.7.2+ version. So that
> traditional stumbling 
> > block has been conquered - you don't need to install
> the java package.
> > A next thing then is to hunt for the Java class libs
> required for 
> > spreadsheet I/O, and to add them to the javaclasspath.
> > In the ./doc subdir of the io package you'll find
> adequate info on this. 
> > Just put all class libs together in some subdir (I
> usually use 
> > ./lib/java) and invoke chk_spreadsheet_support.m to add
> them to the 
> > javaclasspath.
> 
> It just occurred to me that the above hints are probably all
> futile.
> The Java package has been moved into core Octave and is
> already in the dev
> version, incl. 3.7.2+ you use. Along that course that Java
> subsystem has
> changed quite a bit, so much that the Java stuff in the io
> package doesn't
> work anymore with 3.7.2+.
> Futhermore, since the 3.7.2+ windows binary was made,
> several bugs have been
> found in that new Java subsystem that affect the io package.
> Only once these
> have been solved I can proceed making a new io package.
> 
> I do have a io package version patched to present 3.7.3+
> state (being io pkg
> maintainer of course I have) but as the Octave dev version
> is still unstable
> I'm not going to disseminate it - support would be an undue
> time-consuming
> affair for me. 
> 
> So your only options for xlsread are:
> 
> 1. Just use the stable Windows version (there's a very
> usable 3.6.4 MinGW
> binary available). Why didn't you use that in the first
> place?
> 
> 2. Wait until a new stable version incl. experimental GUI is
> available (this
> summer). Usually OF packages (like the io package) lag a bit
> behind so you
> might have to wait even a little bit longer.
> 
> 3. Use the windows package (COM/ActiveX) for xlsread. It has
> to be patched
> however.
> In the thread "xlsread in Octave 3.6.4" you'll find hints
> how to patch it so
> that it works with Octave 3.7.2+. In fact that's the setup
> that worked for
> me.
> 
> Philip
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> View this message in context: 
> http://octave.1599824.n4.nabble.com/Re-use-of-xlsread-in-Octave-tp4652816p4652840.html
> Sent from the Octave - General mailing list archive at
> Nabble.com.
> _______________________________________________
> Help-octave mailing list
> address@hidden
> https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/listinfo/help-octave
> 

The amount of complications is simply staggering.

Inclusion of Java into Octave makes it unnecessarily inflated. I think it's a 
horrible architectural decision.

Regarding 'xlsread'.

There stand alone Strawberry Perl: http://strawberryperl.com/ . And there is 
even a portable one, e.g.: 
http://strawberryperl.com/download/5.16.3.1/strawberry-perl-5.16.3.1-32bit-portable.zip
 , 
http://strawberryperl.com/download/5.16.3.1/strawberry-perl-5.16.3.1-64bit-portable.zip
 .

It even comes with 'gcc'.

There is a whole bunch of Excel related modules: 
http://search.cpan.org/search?query=excel&mode=all -> 
http://search.cpan.org/~jmcnamara/Spreadsheet-ParseExcel-0.59/lib/Spreadsheet/ParseExcel.pm
 .

If the modules work, translating format from Perl data structures into Octave 
struct is trivial.

And Octave has 'system' function, i.e. this whole Perl stuff is neatly kept 
separate from Octave.

And on UNIX(-like) boxes Perl is present by default. And Perl can trivially be 
built from source on UNIX(-like) boxes and can trivially be built portable - 
just in case default Perl is not new enough. I am routinely building portable 
Perl on my Linux box.

Regards,
  Sergei.