What is CMTools?

CMTools provides tools to scaffold and maintain a project using a CodeMeta file and the metadata provided by the Git repository.

cme

As a CodeMeta editor and generator

cmt

A CodeMeta transformer tool. This will generate project artifacts drawn form the CodeMeta file and the metadata embedded in your Git repository.

Quick tutorial

• You can follow along using Terminal (macOS, Linux) or Powershell (Windows).
• We will create a basic Python project using cme and cmt

Getting prepared

• Install or Upgrade CMTools

Installing CMTools

macOS, Linux

curl -L https://caltechlibrary.github.io/CMTools/installer.sh | sh

Windows

irm https://caltechlibrary.github.io/CMTools/installer.ps1 | iex

After install

In your Terminal or Powershell session skim the docs.

cme --help | more
cmt --help | more

Creating a project

Steps

1. Create a directory and change into it
2. Create a “LICENSE” file
3. Create a new codemeta.json using cme
4. Generate project files using cmt

create a directory and change into it

Our project is going to be called “foo”.

mkdir foo
cd foo

Create a “LICENSE” file

Example uses Caltech Library’s software license.

macOS and Linux

curl -L -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/caltechlibrary/template/refs/heads/main/LICENSE

Windows

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/caltechlibrary/template/refs/heads/main/LICENSE -OutFile LICENSE

NOTE: license is required to create “version.py”.

Create a new codemeta.json file

Use cme.

cme codemeta.json -e

Follow the prompts.

NOTE: Complex fields require YAML notation. The -e option says to invoke a text editor for complex fields like authors and contributors. It is much easier to type YAML in a text editor.

Complex fields

Some attributes need to be entered as YAML.

• author, contributor, maintainer
• operatingSystem, softwareRequired
• keywords

Complex fields

• example YAML is generated when you use the -e option

Create initial project files

cmt supports an --init option identifying projects by their primary programming language. Currently supported are Python, Go, JavaScript and TypeScript. In our example we’re setting up for a Python project.

cmt codemeta.json --init python

Create initial project files

cmt codemeta.json --init python yields the following files.

• README.md, about.md and CITATION.cff
• INSTALL.md, installer.ps1 and installer.sh
• version.py and Makefile

Updating CodeMeta attributes

version, dateModified, datePublished and releaseNotes

cme codemeta.json version dateModified datePublished releaseNotes -e

Update a CodeMeta attributes without prompts.

Set version to “1.0.1” and releaseNotes to “Bug fixes”.

cme codemeta.json version=1.0.1 releaseNotes='Bug fixes'

Updating other files

Update the artifacts by explicitly passing their names on the command line.

macOS and Linux

cmt codemeta.json version.ts CITATION.cff \\
  INSTALL.md installer.sh installer.ps1 about.md

On Windows

cmt codemeta.json version.ts CITATION.cff `
  INSTALL.md installer.sh installer.ps1 about.md

Something to consider

Software lives longer than expected, long lived software requires maintenance.

CMTools helps with maintenance.

Reference links

• CMTools: https://caltechlibrary.github.io/CMTools
• on GitHub: https://github.com/caltechlibrary/CMTools
• CodeMeta: https://codemeta.github.io
• Python: https://python.org

Thank you!