| Re: How far is OO implemented in IDL? [message #26497 is a reply to message #26496] |
Wed, 05 September 2001 13:23   |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Mirko Vukovic (mvukovic@taz.telusa.com) writes:
> David Fanning <david@dfanning.com> writes:
>>
>>> I know that Object Oriented Programming is supported
>>> in IDL but I wonder how far this concept is supported?
>>
>> Almost never as far as you would have hoped if
>> you know much about real object-oriented programming.
>> Remember, objects were graphed onto a language
>> that was nearly 20 years old at the time.
>>
> stuff deleted...
>
> With all due respect to David and RSI, I am wondering how valid this
> argument in defense of RSI is. So, shooting off the hip:
>
> It seems that a 50 year old language is going object these days
> (fortran).
>
> Yes, RSI will have a problem improving IDL if they keep to the old
> core. Are we supposed to keep working with that old and tired
> language? Will RSI get new users with such an outdated product?
> Unless RSI works actively on rejuveniting IDL, they will loose out.
>
> As a side-note, IDL was written in fortran 20 years ago, and
> re-written in C some 10 years ago.
>
> feeling much better :-), and expecting corrections to the arguments
> above,
Before the spelling police get all over me again,
I just want you to know that I know the difference
between "graphed" and "grafted". But I was thinking
about the guys at RSI working out the details on object
implementation on graph paper and ... oh, never mind.
It was 5:30 AM and I hadn't had a cup of coffee yet. :-(
But in response to Mirko (and, heaven help me, I really
feel uncomfortable being in a position that appears to
be defending RSI) here are some numbers:
FORTRAN Users: 1,345,493,398
IDL Users: 45,384
If you had to pick a language to completely re-write
every 10 years, which would you choose? :-)
Cheers,
David
P.S. Let's just say I didn't spend too much time
researching the numbers above, but the IDL numbers
would have to be normalized downward when you
consider the number who would actually *pay* to
have someone work on the language re-write.
--
David W. Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438, E-mail: david@dfanning.com
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
|
|
|
|
comp.lang.idl-pvwave archive
Members
Search
Help
Login
Home
