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Re: Introducing FL [message #48262 is a reply to message #48144]

Tue, 04 April 2006 05:23

Paul Van Delst[1]
Messages: 1157
Registered: April 2002

Senior Member

Y.T. wrote:
> Craig Markwardt wrote:
> [good stuff mercilessly snipped]
>
>> True, but that's kind of my point. *If* we could easily translate all
>> our IDL code to Python (say), we'd have the immediate benefit of a
>> stable and supported runtime environment, where the wheel had already
>
>
>
> You're aware of PyDL, aren't you?
>
> Speaking only for myself, I write stuff in IDL because I know IDL.
> That's all. That's where my "inertia" comes from. A converter that
> would produce perfect python from my IDL routines would be worthless to
> me.
>
> At my place of employ I can get Matlab for free (i.e. site-license) but
> I'd be horribly worthless with Matlab because I'd be spending my time
> re-re-relearning when and where to place a comma or a semicolon and
> what was the syntax for a linear fit again? So I use GDL, because that
> allows me to get something *done*. As in *now*.

That, of course, is very important but....
>
> (I work for a federally funded research facility and you, the
> tax-payer, are expending my salary. Do you really think you're getting
> your money's worth out of the deal if I spend my time learning this
> years fad-language?)

Yes, actually (being a taxpayer who also happens to work at a federally funded research
facility). Learning new programming languages is not unlike learning new spoken languages
(except easier IMO). It broadens one's horizon to make different solution methodologies
available. In some cases they may help your work, others not. I would be a foolish
taxpayer if I expected you to not expend time learning new stuff that may make your job
easier and more efficient. And, of course, there's the "personal improvement" aspect -- ya
gotta be happy at what you do. :o)

paulv

p.s. I would love to get a matlab site license - even though I barely know enough matlab
for the "hello world" chestnut. Until then, learning Ruby and Python while I wait for
Fortran2003 compilers will have to do. :o)

--
Paul van Delst
CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP/EMC

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[Message index]

		Introducing FL By: FL on Sat, 01 April 2006 06:44
		Re: Introducing FL By: FL on Thu, 06 April 2006 09:50
		Re: Introducing FL By: Maurizio Tomasi on Thu, 06 April 2006 00:14
		Re: Introducing FL By: George N. White III on Tue, 04 April 2006 16:28
		Re: Introducing FL By: JD Smith on Tue, 04 April 2006 12:38
		Re: Introducing FL By: Craig Markwardt on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:45
		Re: Introducing FL By: Craig Markwardt on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:41
		Re: Introducing FL By: FL on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:21
		Re: Introducing FL By: mmiller3 on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:16
		Re: Introducing FL By: mmiller3 on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:08
		Re: Introducing FL By: mmiller3 on Tue, 04 April 2006 08:07
		Re: Introducing FL By: Ken Mankoff on Tue, 04 April 2006 07:33
		Re: Introducing FL By: Michael Wallace on Tue, 04 April 2006 06:53
		Re: Introducing FL By: FL on Tue, 04 April 2006 06:22
		Re: Introducing FL By: Paul Van Delst[1] on Tue, 04 April 2006 05:23
		Re: Introducing FL By: Ben Panter on Tue, 04 April 2006 03:13
		Re: Introducing FL By: Y.T. on Mon, 03 April 2006 21:28
		Re: Introducing FL By: Richard French on Mon, 03 April 2006 20:51
		Re: Introducing FL By: Craig Markwardt on Mon, 03 April 2006 19:17
		Re: Introducing FL By: b_gom on Mon, 03 April 2006 14:59
		Re: Introducing FL By: JD Smith on Mon, 03 April 2006 13:29
		Re: Introducing FL By: Foldy Lajos on Mon, 03 April 2006 11:33
		Re: Introducing FL By: news.qwest.net on Mon, 03 April 2006 09:19
		Re: Introducing FL By: FL on Sun, 02 April 2006 12:33
		Re: Introducing FL By: biophys on Sun, 02 April 2006 12:31
		Re: Introducing FL By: biophys on Sun, 02 April 2006 12:15
		Re: Introducing FL By: Craig Markwardt on Sun, 02 April 2006 11:09

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