[NTG-context] question about module `basicexam`

[NTG-context] question about module `basicexam`

[Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context]

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Dear list,

I have an issue installing a module (`basicexam') automatically, even
after modifying `mtx-install-imp-modules.lua`.

I tried to install it with the command:

  mtxrun --script install-modules --install basicexam

As error message, I get https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/basicexam.zip.

Module info seems to be right
(https://modules.contextgarden.net/cgi-bin/module.cgi/ruid=4231344815/action=view/id=157),
but https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/ sorts the `basicexam-*.zip`
files in a rather uncommon way:

    basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
    basicexam-2026.02.18.zip
    basicexam-20250102A.zip

At least, `ls -lh basicexam-*` in “Fedora 43” gives the more standard:

    basicexam-20250102A.zip
    basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
    basicexam-2026.02.18.zip

This prevents the symlink `basicexam.zip` from being generated and then
the `mtxrun` command cannot find it.

Is there any way to fix this? I wonder whether the symlink might need to
be generated manually.

Many thanks for your help,

Pablo

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--- /mtx-install-imp-modules.lua	2026-02-10 18:10:21.836811208 +0100
+++ /mtx-install-imp-modules.lua	2026-02-11 18:32:14.089051256 +0100
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
         ["animation"]         = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-animation.zip" } },         -- probably obsolete
         ["annotation"]        = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-annotation.zip" } },
      -- ["aquamints"]         = { url = "modules", zips = { "aquamints.zip" } },           -- obsolete (fonts)
+        ["basicexam"]         = { url = "modules", zips = { "basicexam.zip" } },
         ["bibmod-doc"]        = { url = "modules", zips = { "bibmod-doc.zip" } },
      -- ["bnf-0.3"]           = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-bnf-0.3.zip" } },
         ["bnf"]               = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-bnf.zip" } },
-        ["chat"]              = { url = "modules", zips = { "chat.zip" } },
         ["chromato"]          = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-chromato.zip" } },
      -- ["cmscbf"]            = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-cmscbf.zip" } },            -- obsolete (fonts)
      -- ["cmttbf"]            = { url = "modules", zips = { "t-cmttbf.zip" } },            -- obsolete (fonts)


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[NTG-context] Re: question about module `basicexam`

[Max Chernoff via ntg-context]

Hi Pablo,

On Mon, 2026-02-23 at 19:17 +0100, Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context wrote:
> but https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/ sorts the `basicexam-*.zip`
> files in a rather uncommon way:
>
>     basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
>     basicexam-2026.02.18.zip
>     basicexam-20250102A.zip
>
> At least, `ls -lh basicexam-*` in “Fedora 43” gives the more standard:
>
>     basicexam-20250102A.zip
>     basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
>     basicexam-2026.02.18.zip

The sorting order depends on the current locale:

    $ cat /etc/os-release | grep PRETTY_NAME
    PRETTY_NAME="Fedora Linux 43 (Workstation Edition)"
    $ touch basicexam-2025.12.12.zip basicexam-2026.02.18.zip basicexam-20250102A.zip

    $ locale | grep LC_COLLATE
    LC_COLLATE="en_CA.UTF-8"
    $ ls -1
    basicexam-20250102A.zip
    basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
    basicexam-2026.02.18.zip

    $ LC_COLLATE=C ls -1
    basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
    basicexam-20250102A.zip
    basicexam-2026.02.18.zip

    $ LC_COLLATE=es_ES.UTF-8 ls -1
    basicexam-20250102A.zip
    basicexam-2025.12.12.zip
    basicexam-2026.02.18.zip

And if you're using a program that doesn't sort the output, then the
order will be random (but usually based on the date the file was
created):

    $ rm 1 2 3; touch 1 2 3; find -type f
    ./3
    ./2
    ./1

    $ rm 1 2 3; touch 3 2 1; find -type f
    ./1
    ./2
    ./3

    $ rm 1 2 3; touch 2 1 3; find -type f
    ./3
    ./1
    ./2

So I don't think that it's really safe to assume that there is a single
correct way of sorting a list of files.

Thanks,
-- Max
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[NTG-context] Re: question about module `basicexam`

[Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context]

On 2/23/26 23:59, Max Chernoff via ntg-context wrote:
> Hi Pablo,
> […]
> The sorting order depends on the current locale:
> […]

Many thanks for your reply, Max.

Yes, but in all your cases `2025` comes before `2026`.

> And if you're using a program that doesn't sort the output, then the
> order will be random (but usually based on the date the file was
> created):
> […]
> So I don't think that it's really safe to assume that there is a single
> correct way of sorting a list of files.

`Rather uncommon` (not wrong, since I don’t know which sorting criterium
is using) is to put `2025` both before and after `2026`.

Contents of https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/ give the impression to
be alphabetically sorted (uppercase chars coming before lowercase ones).

In the end, this particular file sorting seems to be preventing the
creation of the `basicexam.zip` symlink, which also prevents its
automatic installation by `mtxrun`.

Many thanks for your help,

Pablo
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[NTG-context] Re: question about module `basicexam`

[Taco Hoekwater]

Hi,

> On 24 Feb 2026, at 07:39, Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context <ntg-context@ntg.nl> wrote:
> 
> On 2/23/26 23:59, Max Chernoff via ntg-context wrote:
> 
> Contents of https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/ give the impression to
> be alphabetically sorted (uppercase chars coming before lowercase ones).

It is not the sort order as such that is the problem, the problem is the
construction of the version numbers. The code has to interpret these
numbers to figure out which is the latest, and that means it has to parse
the version strings. The code is not all that smart, so it tends to fail on 
version strings that change their internal logic over time.

I created basicexam.zip manually, linking to basicexam-2026.02.18.zip. 

As long as the future version numbers stick to YYYY.MM.DD as well, there will
be no more problems.

Best wishes,
Taco


— 
Taco Hoekwater              E: taco@bittext.nl
genderfluid (all pronouns)


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[NTG-context] Re: question about module `basicexam`

[Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context]

On 2/24/26 09:17, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>> On 24 Feb 2026, at 07:39, Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context <ntg-context@ntg.nl> wrote:
>>
>> On 2/23/26 23:59, Max Chernoff via ntg-context wrote:
>>
>> Contents of https://modules.contextgarden.net/dl/ give the impression to
>> be alphabetically sorted (uppercase chars coming before lowercase ones).
> 
> It is not the sort order as such that is the problem, the problem is the
> construction of the version numbers. The code has to interpret these
> numbers to figure out which is the latest, and that means it has to parse
> the version strings. The code is not all that smart, so it tends to fail on 
> version strings that change their internal logic over time.
> 
> I created basicexam.zip manually, linking to basicexam-2026.02.18.zip. 
> 
> As long as the future version numbers stick to YYYY.MM.DD as well, there will
> be no more problems.
Hi Taco,

many thanks for fixing the issue and explaining it.

Pablo
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