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Re: Introducing FL [message #48266 is a reply to message #48144]

Mon, 03 April 2006 19:17

Craig Markwardt
Messages: 1869
Registered: November 1996

Senior Member

JD Smith <jdsmith@as.arizona.edu> writes:
>> And finally, with this proliferation of "almost-IDL" clones (FL, IDL,
>> ANA, Yorick), I have to wonder why everybody has to re-invent the
>> wheel (see above). I see the GDL people meticulously toiling over
>> basic functionality, and it makes me wonder: wouldn't it have been
>> better to write an IDL-to-{Python,Ruby,Perl} translator, and get the
>> existing well tested script environment for free? And not only that,
>> but Python for science seem about to really take off. An infusion of
>> well-tested IDL libraries into that community might be enough
>> cross-fertilization to really get a non-proprietary version of an
>> IDL-like language going strong.
>
> Python has been set to "take off" in the astronomy field for about 8
> years, and it just hasn't really happened. In my view, it's just
> inertia. It took RSI 30 years to get to where they are, and they have
> built up an impressively large (if ungainly and not exactly stylish)
> bag of tricks.
> ...

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
been invented, and done well.

Then there are all sorts of possibilities. An individual could then
(a) translate all of their routines to Python and then just "switch"
to Python once and for all. Or (b) they could still think in IDL but
compile to Python whenever needed.

Python would gain a whole suite of great science software originally
written for IDL, and IDL users would gain the freedom to switch away
from a proprietary environment. Everybody would gain! (with very
little change in inertia)

I just don't think it's possible for the clone writers of GDL or FL
can sustain the effort long enough to write a complete new invention
of the wheel (interpretter environment plus library). [*] Why not let
the Python people do more than half of that?

Craig

[*] - I do appreciate the impressive effort that the GDL and FL
writers have put in!

--
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Craig B. Markwardt, Ph.D. EMAIL: craigmnet@REMOVEcow.physics.wisc.edu
Astrophysics, IDL, Finance, Derivatives | Remove "net" for better response
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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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