How to convert a directory into a package?

Question

I have a directory with some helper functions that should be put into a package. Step one is obviously naming the directory something like +mypackage\\ so I can

Answer 1

I have been exploring answers to the same question and I have found that combining package with private folders can allow most or all of the code to be used without modification.

Say you have

+mypackage\intfc1.m
+mypackage\intfc2.m
+mypackage\private\foo1.m
+mypackage\private\foo2.m
+mypackage\private\foo3.m

Then from intfc1, foo1, foo2, and foo3 are all reachable without any package qualifiers or import statements, and foo1, foo2, and foo3 can also call each other without any package qualifiers or import statements. If foo1, foo2, or foo3 needs to call intfc1 or intfc2, then that needs qualification as mypackage.intfc1 or an import statement.

In the case that you have a large set of mutually interdependent functions and a small number of entry points, this reduces the burden of adding qualifiers or import statements.

To go even further, you could create new wrapper functions at the package level with the same name as private functions

+mypackage\foo1.m          <--- new interface layer wraps private foo1
+mypackage\private\foo1.m  <--- original function

where for example +mypackage\foo1.m might be:

function answer = foo1(some_parameter)
    answer = foo1(some_parameter);  % calls private function, not itself
end

This way, unlike the intfc1 example above, all the private code can run without modification. In particular there is no need for package qualifiers when calling any other function, regardless of whether it is exposed by a wrapper at the package level.

With this configuration, all functions including the package-level wrappers are oblivious of the package name, so renaming the package is nothing more than renaming the folder.