How to use SPDX Licenseinformation in .mat matlab files?

SPDX is an ISO standard which enables one to add structured human and machine readabel license information to files.

I do not want to clutter the preview function of matlab.

How should the SPDX information be added to the file?

Is it possible to tell matlab, that comments with SPDX data should be ignored in the preview?

Answer 1

[Suvansh Arora]

I think the “preview” function you are talking about is the “help” function that is used to provide help for the programs you write.

I would like to recommend a way to not clutter the help data with unwanted license information.

• Add a space in between the license information and documentation in your code

function c = addMe(a,b) 
% ADDME Add two values together. 
% C = ADDME(A) adds A to itself. 
% 
% C = ADDME(A,B) adds A and B together. 
% 
% See also SUM, PLUS. 

% License information: 
switch nargin 
    case 2 
        c = a + b; 
    case 1 
        c = a + a; 
    otherwise 
        c = 0; 
end 

>> help addME % In order to view the documentation.

addMe  Add two values together. 
    C = addMe(A) adds A to itself. 
  
    C = addMe(A,B) adds A and B together. 
  
    See also sum, plus.

I hope the above information helps you.

[Jonas Stein]

Does the following pseudo code cover all cases?

FOR ALL .mat FILES DO
    IF there_is_a_function
        THEN add_spdx_comment_before_function
    ELSE add_spdx_comment_in_first_lines_of_the_file

[Suvansh Arora]

A better way of achieving this would be:

FOR ALL .mat FILES DO 
    IF there_is_a_function 
        THEN  
        skip_lines_with_comments 
        Add_space_and_add_spdx_information_as_a_comment 
    ELSE  
        skip_lines_with_comments 
        Add_space_and_add_spdx_information_as_a_comment 

• “skip_lines_with_comments”: This will be useful in having a “help” output of the functions/scripts.
• “Add_space_and_add_spdx_information_as_a_comment”: Adding space would break the “help” output and the comments further on can be used to add “spdx” information.

In order to achieve above automation, you can follow the ML answers article mentioned below:

How to edit m file by another m file