Support meson in build-wheel

[mhsmith]

This will be required for any further updates to:

• contourpy
• numpy – Update NumPy #1267
• scikit-image – Update to scikit-image 0.19 or later #1042
• scipy – Update to scipy 1.9 or later #1040
• matplotlib – although version 3.8.2, which we currently only have for Python 3.12, could still be built for 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11.
• pywavelets

[vjeson]

Waiting for this done #1040

[mhsmith]

The mobile-forge repository has a recipe for building a recent version of numpy for iOS using meson. However, that may rely on crossenv, which we're not currently using in the Android build tool, though it might be a good idea in the future. See other references to crossenv in the issue tracker and the Git repository.

The iOS recipe worked by patching NumPy's vendored copy of meson. However, the current NumPy version uses meson externally via pyproject.toml, so a different approach would be needed. Maybe we can change build-system to be a local directory which imports meson and monkey patches it.

[rgommers]

However, the current NumPy version uses meson externally via pyproject.toml, so a different approach would be needed.

It doesn't, as of today Meson is still vendored within the NumPy source tree (and that won't change very fast unfortunately). However, that is unique to NumPy. I'd suggest focusing first on the regular use case, where meson is a build dependency. Reasonable patches can always be added to Meson itself and I'd then be happy to sync them to NumPy's vendored fork.

[mhsmith]

See also:

• Add Android Support numpy/numpy#27698

[mhsmith]

build-wheel is now deprecated in favor of cibuildwheel, so further work will take place in the cibuildwheel or meson repositories.

[mhsmith]

I'm now working on adding official Android support to meson (mesonbuild/meson-python#824).