Possible Mentors

• Thomas Grill

Description

Flext is a C++ API providing a uniform programming environment to extend both Pure Data and Max/MSP with binary objects aka "externals".

Within the last years a range of flext-based externals has been created that is widely used in both the Pure Data and Max/MSP worlds.

The goal of this project is to integrate both the flext development environment and derived externals into the canonical pd-extended distribution. This involves the development of an autoconf-based build system for flext itself (a basic skeleton is already available) and derived externals so that the latest versions can always be updated from code repositories and built automatically in the nightly Pd-extended autobuild process.

A difficulty might be the fact that code for flext and some flext-based externals is maintained on servers outside to Pd SVN repository.

Resources to start:

• http://grrrr.org/ext/flext

• http://grrrr.org/ext/

• https://svn.grrrr.org/ext/flext/

• http://puredata.info/docs/developer/

• http://puredata.info/dev/ModularBuildSystem

Required Skills

• Advanced knowledge of the GNU autoconf system on linux, MacOS and Windows/MinGW.

• Knowledge of the Pd-extended autobuild system.

• Intermediate communication skills for integration issues.

Difficulty

• For someone fluent with the autoconf system this should be a fairly straightforward task although some difficulty might lie in the details.

Possible Breakdown of Steps

• Forum discussion/decision how flext should be integrated into pd-extended and autobuild system

• Overhaul of autoconf system for flext

• Development of autoconf infrastructure for flext-based externals

• Integration into autobuild scripts