josdejong/mathjs

Document developer requirements/guidelines for the Number bundle

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#3559 opened on Oct 17, 2025

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Description

Recently, I have just been throwing any mathjs methods I create into the number bundle with their standard factories, on the theory that if their factory defines implementations for other types, those will just be ignored when the number-only instance is generated.

However, I was working on adding a scalarDivide() function (which would check if one vector is a scalar multiple of another, e.g., scalarDivide([1.5, 3], [1, 2]) = 1.5 but scalarDivide([2, 3], [1, 2]) = undefined), and I went to add it to factoriesNumber and discovered that neither dotMultiply nor dotDivide is in the number bundle. Yet these operations make perfect sense for ordinary arrays of numbers. So, it would be helpful to have some clarification:

  1. What is the criterion for a method to be included in the number bundle? Should dotMultiply and dotDivide be added, and the list of functions scanned for others that should be added? Or perhaps are there methods now in the number bundle that should be removed?

  2. Is there/could there be automated testing for what is and isn't in the number bundle?

  3. When does the implementation need to be changed for inclusion in the number bundle vs. when can the same factory just be included in factoriesNumber as in factoriesAny?

This guidance should be added to the "Implementing a new function" section of the README.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
documentation
Issue type
documentation
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Familiarity with mathjs function factoriesUnderstanding of the Number bundle structure
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
75
Research direction
Review the existing factory files, particularly src/factoriesNumber.js and src/factoriesAny.js, to understand which functions are currently included in the number bundle and how they are implemented. Check the discussion in the issue comments (e.g., https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/issues/3559) for any additional guidance from maintainers. Then, read the 'Implementing a new function' section of the README to identify where to add the new guidelines. Propose a clear criterion for inclusion, whether dotMultiply/dotDivide should be added, and how to handle factories that work for both number and any types. Aim to write 2-4 sentences of concrete recommendations and update the README accordingly.