[gdal-dev] Misc. subjects : OSGeo Vienna code sprint, release plans, GDAL 2.0

[David Strip]

On 3/31/2014 1:03 PM, Even Rouault wrote:
> Hi Etienne,
>
> Thanks for your ideas.
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I have a few suggestions for gdal 2.0, based on my personal experience in
>> learning to use, enhance and maintain gdal/ogr code.
>>
>> - replace cpl/csl/string/xml code with a mainstream, modern cross-platform
>> toolkit such as QT, boost, etc.
> QT is certainly a dependency we wouldn't want to draw. Too big for some 
> embededded usage, and it would make GDAL to be practially bound by the LGPL.
> I guess standard C++ libraries classes, or perhaps boost, should do the job 
> for what you mention below.
+1 for the idea of moving to either well-supported toolkits or more
extensive use of the std library or features of C++11
>
>> While cpl/csl classes are robust and "do the job", they are not well
>> documented and not very intuitive for a new gdal coder. This is from my
>> personal experience, some may not agree.
>> They are also not used outside gdal, as such do not benefit from
>> enhancements as other toolkits.
> Well, at least, MapServer uses a few CPL functions : CPL minixml, 
> CPLMalloc/CPLFree, CPLReadDir, CPLFormFilename, CPLGetFilename, 
> CSLInsertString, etc..
To the extent that these remain necessary, making them a thin wrapper of
whatever standard lib/toolkit is adopted would both improve the
effective documentation, as well as make them compatible with the
library/toolkit (esp memory allocation)