PyMesaHandler 0.2.0
An easy way to handle Mesa using Python
License: MIT

# PyMesaHandler ![Travis Status](https://travis-ci.org/muma7490/PyMesaHandler.svg?branch=master)
PyMesHandler allows for a native interaction of inlist
files via Python. This means, that the package will
automatically convert between the fortran like variables
within inlist and native python standard datatypes. For
example the variable
```fortran
read_extra_star_job_inlist1 = .true.
```
will be available through the package as
```python
mesaHandlerObject["read_extra_star_job_inlist1"] = True
```

The conversion happens in a black box using some regex
magic automatically. This means if you change a property
in the python object, it will automatically transfer to
the file.

Keep in mind this application is still a work in progress.
If you find any errors or have a feature request, don't
hesitate to open an issue on this github.

## Features
- **No more file hassle**. PyMesaHandler automatically
combines all files you use for your setup and will
update them accordingly
- **Python file types**. You can actually do some scripting
or calculation beforehand. The package will automatically
convert these properly to the right types for fortran.
- **Parameter creation and deletion**: The package allows you to create
and remove parameters from your inlist files, again using only python
datatypes. It will even check if the parameter is available through
the Mesa defaults and if the type of the data you want to assign is the
correct one.
- **Includes the full capabilities of MesaReader**: MesaReader is
included as a submodule of this code, and therefore provides it's full
capabilities. Further integration is also part of future development.
## Getting started
PyMesaHandler is available through pip. To install simply
call
```
pip install PyMesaHandler
```
## Usage example
Lets say you want to edit the initial mass of the model
you want to create. Simply create a python file
in the same directory as the inlist files with the
following code
```python
from MesaHandler import MesaAccess

object = MesaAccess()

object["initial_mass"] = 5
```
and run it. **Thats it**. The file will now have the
changed mass as its parameter. You can use any parameter that is
available through your installed Mesa version.

PyMesaHandler also includes MesaReader, whichs documentation can be
found [here](https://wmwolf.github.io/py_mesa_reader/).

## Credit

As it should be mentioned here, the code makes use of
[MesaReader](https://github.com/wmwolf/py_mesa_reader). Thanks to
the original author to make its use available to me.

## Future development
There are many features that are aimed to be added to this
module. The goal is to create a package, where you no
longer need to manually run Mesa, so that you can automate
your usage of Mesa. Features for the pipeline are:

- **Automated Build & run for Mesa**: The modul will run
Mesa if you want to run it through the module
- **Plotting capabilities**: You want to plot one
or multiple results from Mesa? That will be also possible
through this package.
- **Creation of new projects and sharing of projects**: One of the final
goals with this project is, that you only need to share your python
project. Anyone who has Python and Mesa installed, will than be able to
run your model using only python code.
- **Further Integration of MesaReader**: MesaReader has some cool
capabilities to get Mesa Reader into Python. Future development will
see further integration into the MesaAccess class, as this should
be the only point of entry to interact with Mesa.

And various other features that are not yet included.