bug in continued fraction expansion ? / applying patches

It is easy to load a single function or file into a running Maxima today.

What I think RJF is pointing out is that if only a diff is distributed,
it's unclear what exactly to load.  I'd think you could apply the diff to
the source file then load that file or the individual function; an
opportunity for a small-but-useful Python or Emacs Lisp function?

                 -s

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 1:41 PM, Richard Fateman
<fateman at eecs.berkeley.edu>wrote:

>  I was going to write that it is not at all necessary to recompile
> Maxima.  That is, one
> can patch lisp programs in a  running Maxima by loading files, or even by
> typing
> new definitions.
> Unfortunately, the style of patches on  sourceforge is not oriented to
> doing this,
> and so the simplest mechanical way of fixing stuff is to essentially
> re-build the
> system.
>
> To illustrate how much easier Lisp can handle a patch,  imagine you wish to
> change the Maxima  "integrate" command.  You can do this:
>
> :lisp (defun $integrate(a b) "I changed integrate")
>
> or you could load a file that had that new definition.
>
> Sourceforge patches are diffs of files, therefore requiring not just "the
> right program"
>
> but "the wrong program" and "the file in which the wrong program lives".
>
> Instead of producing "the right program"  it produces "the file in which
> the wrong program lives, with changes".
>
> This is an example of the retrograde motion of computer technology.
> Compare to 1966, when Macsyma was built, and bug fixes were put
> in the source code and in a "fix file".  Each user loaded Macsyma, which
> loaded the fix file, and so everyone had a complete current system.
>  When enough fixes accumulated, a new system was built.
>
> RJF
>
>
>
>
>
> On 5/31/2012 8:25 AM, jcarbaut at voila.fr wrote:
>
> Thank you very much for the link. I, for one, would care, but maybe it
> will be a bit difficult for me to apply a patch and recompile Maxima ;-)
> Since I have a workaround and I don't need CF for more complicated
> quadratic numbers, I may just stick with it.
> Anyway, it's a nice occasion to look under the hood, and to try to
> understand how Maxima interacts with Lisp.
>
> Jean-Claude Arbaut
>
> ========================================
> Message du 31/05/12 16:38
> De : "Alexander Klimov"
> A : jcarbaut at voila.fr
> Copie ? : "maxima"
> Objet : Re: [Maxima] bug in continued fraction expansion ?
>
> Hi. Thu, 31 May 2012 11:23:58 +0200 (CEST) ?? jcarbaut at voila.fr: >
> cf(sqrt(n)) returns (apparently) what is expected except for some numbers:
> You can try to use the patch that nobody cares to apply for half a year:
>
>
>
>
>
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