[MacPorts] #33707: py-novas_py fetches files during its build phase

[MacPorts]

#33707: py-novas_py fetches files during its build phase
-------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
 Reporter:  ryandesign@…             |       Owner:  aronnax@…           
     Type:  defect                   |      Status:  new                 
 Priority:  Normal                   |   Milestone:                      
Component:  ports                    |     Version:  2.0.4               
 Keywords:                           |        Port:  py-novas_py         
-------------------------------------+--------------------------------------

Comment(by aronnax@…):

 Replying to [comment:2 ryandesign@…]:
 > How are these files used by novas_py?

 These are ASCII data files generated by JPL (they are a solar system
 ephemeris, or a table of the calculated positions of solar system objects,
 spanning many centuries).  The NOVAS_Py setup.py script downloads them and
 packages them into a single binary file that is used by the underlying C
 NOVAS library.  There are certain NOVAS calls that don't require an
 ephemeris, but many do.  Most users would want to have an ephemeris.

 To complicate matters, the code for packing the ASCII files into the one
 binary file lives in the NOVAS_Py package.

 Another option would be for a third party (e.g., myself) to generate a
 binary ephemeris file, with a filename that reflects the date on which the
 JPL data files were downloaded.  Then a Port could be created for this.
 Yet another complication: the file's endianness matters; it has to match
 the native endianness of the platform.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.macports.org/ticket/33707#comment:3>
MacPorts <http://www.macports.org/>
Ports system for Mac OS