[GRASS-dev] Python GUI toolkits

[Yann Chemin]

Each time we finish a GRASS GIS lab session (3-4 hours), i run the script of
the whole lab in 1-2 minutes in front of the students, you should see their
reaction!

Such "assisted" scripting capability would be a serious advantage for
fastening the learning curve to advanced level processing. Aggreed, not all
processing can be done scripting-side, but surely a lot can be done.
Besides, GRASS GIS is changing fast, having a way to list & pick-up commands
can really help out here.

2006/6/9, Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>:
>
>
> David Finlayson wrote:
>
> > In my opinion, one of the problems with a GUI is that you have to
> > learn GRASS twice to use it in scripts. Once, you learn the buttons
> > for getting things done. Twice, you learn the commands to do the same
> > thing. That makes scripting a high barrier to cross and a lot of
> > people never learn how to automate there work. In CLI, you only learn
> > the program once, you use the same command for interactive and
> > scripting use. Just like the big math programming languages. This must
> > work because all of the big math programs use this approach (Matlab,
> > Maple, Mathematica, R, S-plus, etc.) and many of these are popular
> > with their users.
> >
> > BUT, the main problem with the CLI is discoverability. You can't use
> > it if you don't know the commands and weak CLI do not assist in the
> > tedious usage parts. And there are some things that are just easier
> > when interactive, like laying out a figure. So, a nice IDE can really
> > make using the program easier by providing helper tools that make the
> > CLI friendlier and more discoverable.
>
> For GRASS, the main problem with a command line is that specifying
> points by typing in coordinates is a lot less convenient than using a
> mouse.
>
> Modules such as v.digit and i.points /need/ a GUI.
>
> Beyond that, the visualisation aspects of gis.m should ultimately be
> able to be controlled from the command line. I.e. being able to type a
> command to add, move, modify, hide (etc) layers, rather than having to
> use buttons or menus.
>
> Even from a command-line perspective, the existing display
> architecture is deficient in that you can't modify the layer stack
> other than adding a new layer on the top or clearing the stack
> altogether.
>
> --
> Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>
>
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