[GRASS-dev] Python GUI toolkits

[Hamish]

This flew by just now on DebianGIS concerning WxWidgets and Thuban:
  http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.gis.grass.pkg.general/1969
(C++ linking problems with unmatching wxproj version)


Joel Pitt wrote:
> [libglade is required at run-time]

ok, thanks. (no show stopper, but nice to know)

> On the other hand, we could always use Java for the GUI... <ducks>
> (although in seriousness there is SWT http://www.eclipse.org/swt/ ,
> which binds Java to the native GUI libraries - and runs quickly
> because it uses the actual libraries, not JAVA interpretations)

It was reported yesterday on the DebianGIS mailing list that OpenJUMP 
now runs with classpath (free java clone) and is almost ready for Debian
main.   see  http://kennke.org/blog/


> Perhaps we could create a GUI that allowed you to have multiple shells
> open, R for GRASS, a bash shell, an IPython one.
>
> Come to think of it there isn't any reason why these shells can't
> exist on their own...

bash$ python
Python 2.3.5 (#2, Sep  4 2005, 22:01:42)
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> _

voila! have fun.


GRASS> R
R : Copyright 2005, The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Version 2.1.0  (2005-04-18), ISBN 3-900051-07-0
..
Type 'q()' to quit R.

> _

voila! have fun.


IPython maybe more, but if it lets you run arbitrary system commands,
that's all that GRASS commands are. 




David Finlayson wrote:
> I am intrigued by the possibility of making a Matlab of GIS.

I was thinking yesterday how close the two were at a base level. Little
scriptable modules, which a GUI call call or modify an object property
if you want, but at the base it returns to a solid modular CLI.

> * Imagine having a command line that auto completes options, layers,
> raster and vector names!

Live the dream:
  http://grass.gdf-hannover.de/wiki/GRASS_AddOns#General_add-ons

> * How about a display monitor that could be controlled by the command
> line or the GUI at the same time (a la Matlabs graphics figures)?

Glynn just mentioned this is a target.

> * How about having complete access to the GRASS API via Python SWIG?

This is well on its way..



Hamish