[GRASS5] Proposed process for GRASS reorganization (please read)

strobe anarkhos anarkhos at mac.com
Mon Mar 26 21:16:36 EST 2001


At 3:01 PM +0200 3/26/01, Bernhard Reiter wrote:
>On Fri, Mar 23, 2001 at 11:20:10AM -0800, strobe anarkhos wrote:
>> >Less generally, I'm not very keen on generalized models or on OOP.
>
>> I was also a huge skeptic about OO programming until I started
>> using Objective-C (which wasn't long ago!). Prior to that I had
>> been using C++ with others and on personal projects for several
>> years.
>
>I know OO programming a long time (about 10 years) and I have used
>Objective-C on NeXTStep systems around 1993. I have to agree that
>Objective-C is a very good OO language and the concept of OpenStep
>(a successor of NeXTStep) is very good. Still these techniques do
>not automatically create good software.
>
>Certainly the Foundation is a good candidate to consider for a
>possible new Free GIS based on GRASS, but there are others which
>are contenders. What about wxPython? It is OO, platform independant
>and python is even nicer than Objective-C. :)

Several reasons:

a) GRASS developers know C already. If we create a GRASS framework in Foundation, prior GRASS contributors will only need to learn a minuscule number if syntax additions.

b) FSF has a working Java bridge for GNUStep Foundation. Ask a Java developer what Python is he'll tell you it's a constrictor with heat-seeking pits. We may hate Java but we can't ignore their numbers, to do so would be like the Romans ignoring the Barbarians.

>Let me also through in the round that there are several free
>software project out there trying to develop the next generation GIS.
>Chjeck freegis.org  (ossim, openmap, fmaps, ...)
>If we are not satisfied with how GRASS is going, we should consider
>to evalutate the other projects and try to avoid their mistakes
>first before starting our own rewrite.

Well I think a GIS framework based on Foundation would be very useful to everybody involved, and anybody in any other GIS project can contribute to it. I didn't have to propose it to GRASS developers, but I thought it was a good a place as any to start.

>Let me also add that I am not sure that we have enough ressources to
>actually do all the changes Strobe has proposed.

Use the right license and who knows how many developers can help, I know I would feel much more inclined.

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