Provide Windows installers for stdlib

[awvwgk]

Description

Since Windows has no actual package manager installing of software is usually expected to be possible by an installer. So far we haven't explored this road for distribution of stdlib.

Possible Solution

Find out how we can automatically create an installer using GitHub actions

Tools:

• https://jrsoftware.org/isdl.php
• https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Main_Page

Additional Information

Related fortran-lang/fpm#580
See post by Vipul @FortranFan at https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/2001/33
Simply Fortran's stdlib package: https://packages.simplyfortran.com/package/92.html
Packaging stdlib for MSYS2: https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/2005

[JAMMIASHOK]

Hi,
I have a small suggestion or you can take it as a request.
The best thing to do with windows for now is this:
Make a separate repository for stdlib-windows
Strip off all the preprocessor stuff - just keep only the modules with hard coded integer or real or character or array or derived types. We can just download the stdlib -> Type the "use stdlib" statement and use whatever subroutines. This will encourage users a lot - because they have something running at hand and they can easily add to the functionality. Yes I understand that generics are important and we need to cater to different data types .... But for short term please just use plain Fortran features - and let the more generic one incubate and grow in time and let time decide whether Fortran will have generics ...
Now it's like instead of improving the tooling around Fortran, we are producing tools that are difficult to use.
I have a long desire to use stdlib and contribute some linear algebra and differential equations and so on... But just seeing the installation process and Fypp - I feel that better to write my own small subroutines.
Remember that Boost and Eigen - two gold standard libraries for c++ are so successful because - they are just header files. You just have to type #include"Eigen/core" and everything works. This is what windows users expect. Of course I have so much appreciation for the work you are doing for Fortran community, I cannot demand. But this is just a request.
When people are contributing to stdlib, they can submit two versions - one bare version where everything is hard coded and another using Fypp. This way both the versions can keep growing.
I hope you understand

[awvwgk]

Strip off all the preprocessor stuff - just keep only the modules with hard coded integer or real or character or array or derived types. We can just download the stdlib -> Type the "use stdlib" statement and use whatever subroutines. This will encourage users a lot - because they have something running at hand and they can easily add to the functionality. Yes I understand that generics are important and we need to cater to different data types .... But for short term please just use plain Fortran features - and let the more generic one incubate and grow in time and let time decide whether Fortran will have generics ...

This would be already available at the stdlib-fpm branch in this repository, not with CMake, but with fpm.

[awvwgk]

Thanks to @LKedward there is now an installer which can build stdlib 🎉

https://github.com/LKedward/quickstart-fortran

[JAMMIASHOK]

Thanks a lot. Now I think Fortran is really growing seriously. I will use it and let you know.

…

On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 1:22 AM Sebastian Ehlert ***@***.***> wrote: Thanks to @LKedward <https://github.com/LKedward> there is now an installer which can build stdlib 🎉 https://github.com/LKedward/quickstart-fortran — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#553 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ALNAKOGOGC2332S2UVHBW6LUMAHPXANCNFSM5F3C3ONQ> . Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>.