Question regarding metapackages under v1.0

General Usage
#1

I have noticed that metapackages behave differently under v1.0 than under v0.6. Specifically, I added ValidatedNumerics to my v1.0.1 installation. While this installs the various Interval* packages, they are not available to use unless I also add them individually:

(v1.0) pkg> add ValidatedNumerics
  Updating registry at `C:\Users\vdykb\.julia\registries\General`
  Updating git-repo `https://github.com/JuliaRegistries/General.git`
 Resolving package versions...
 Installed FastRounding ────────────────── v0.2.0
 Installed SetRounding ─────────────────── v0.2.0
 Installed IntervalOptimisation ────────── v0.3.0
 Installed ValidatedNumerics ───────────── v0.11.0
 Installed IntervalConstraintProgramming ─ v0.9.0
 Installed IntervalContractors ─────────── v0.3.1
 Installed IntervalRootFinding ─────────── v0.4.0
 Installed IntervalArithmetic ──────────── v0.15.0
 Installed ErrorfreeArithmetic ─────────── v0.2.1
  Updating `C:\Users\vdykb\.julia\environments\v1.0\Project.toml`
  [d621b6e3] + ValidatedNumerics v0.11.0
  Updating `C:\Users\vdykb\.julia\environments\v1.0\Manifest.toml`
  [90fa49ef] + ErrorfreeArithmetic v0.2.1
  [fa42c844] + FastRounding v0.2.0
  [d1acc4aa] + IntervalArithmetic v0.15.0
  [138f1668] + IntervalConstraintProgramming v0.9.0
  [15111844] + IntervalContractors v0.3.1
  [c7c68f13] + IntervalOptimisation v0.3.0
  [d2bf35a9] + IntervalRootFinding v0.4.0
  [3cc68bcd] + SetRounding v0.2.0
  [d621b6e3] + ValidatedNumerics v0.11.0

julia> using IntervalArithmetic
ERROR: ArgumentError: Package IntervalArithmetic not found in current path:
- Run `import Pkg; Pkg.add("IntervalArithmetic")` to install the IntervalArithmetic package.

Stacktrace:
 [1] require(::Module, ::Symbol) at .\loading.jl:820

(v1.0) pkg> add IntervalArithmetic
 Resolving package versions...
  Updating `C:\Users\vdykb\.julia\environments\v1.0\Project.toml`
  [d1acc4aa] + IntervalArithmetic v0.15.0
  Updating `C:\Users\vdykb\.julia\environments\v1.0\Manifest.toml`
 [no changes]

julia> using IntervalArithmetic
[ Info: Precompiling IntervalArithmetic [d1acc4aa-44c8-5952-acd4-ba5d80a2a253]

Is there a way, using the v1.0 package manager, to achieve the same result as under v0.6, i.e. install the metapackage and all of the constituent packages are available to use? Via a build script, perhaps?

In this example, simply using ValidatedNumerics would of course work, as the constituent packages are all re-exported. I was simply curious to know if there is a simple solution that allows not having all of the constituent packages loaded every time.

#2

Without using or equivalent, no installed package will be available in any given environment.

#3

I think you misunderstood, or I was not clear. The issue is that the packages cannot be directly used, as shown in the example. Only the meta package can be used.

#4

That’s incorrect. Add BenchmarkTools to your default environment (v1.0). Create an new empty environment somewhere (i.e. ] activate . somewhere). Now try using BenchmarkTools in this empty environment: it will work.

However, at least when I started to use 1.0, I guess I would have liked environments to really be separated from each other.

#5

This is intentional, you can only using what you have added. In Julia v0.6 this was not the case, but the fact that it worked can be considered a bug.

1 Like
#6

Not quite, see my example above. I’d say you can only using what you added somewhere.

#7

If you look at the example (you need to scroll) you will see that I add the metapackage (ValidatedNumerics) which installs the other packages and re-exports them. I can access the exported functions by using the metapackage, but you cannot use only one of the constituent packages unless you add that package individually, as was the case before.

#8

No doubt. This does however reduce the utility of a metapackage. I was wondering if that utility could somehow be recovered.

#9

I think you misunderstood. I meant adding is not enough, you have to do using or equivalent as well to use a package installed via add. An installed package can of course be used from different environments, but they have to be used to be accessed.

#10

Right, but then you have added it, just to an environment lower in the stack.

If this is the case you can

julia> using ValidatedNumerics

julia> using .IntervalContractors

where the . means that Julia should look for the module in the current module (Main in the Julia REPL) instead of loading it like a regular package (which, as you have seen, only work if the package is added).

1 Like
#11

The only downside here is when I use the metapackage, all of constituent packages also get loaded. I was hoping to avoid this. Obviously the simple solution is to add them individually, which is no hardship. I was just being lazy.

#12

This has not changed since Julia v0.6.

#13

No it has not. But in v0.6 the constituent packages were available to use without adding them individually.

#14

Right, and I suggested this, which works without explicitly adding the constituent package:

1 Like
#15

I see. I missed that they need then not be added. Thanks!