[GRASS-dev] GRASS and QGIS on Win32, testing etc.

[Benjamin Ducke]

I think that we can actually make everybody happy here: it should be
possible to have a set of Win32 binaries that support tcl/tk forms (and
in the future wxPython) as well as run with current QGIS.
This way, we can provide several layers of GUI interaction to make the
transition for GIS newbies smooth:

1. QGIS with direct loading of file based geodata
2. the GRASS Toolbox providing a link to GRASS data and a simplified
modules interfaces
3. auto-generated forms on the command line (be they tcl/tk or wxPython)
4. pure command line
5. further tcl/tk and wxPython GUI tools for those that prefer them over
 QGIS and its GRASS plugin stuff

... and all in a single Windows installer package!

The most important thing is to have a rock-solid set of binaries for
Win32. And I think we should focus on getting the command line stuff
with MSYS running perfectly first, then we can add GUI dependencies bit
by bit. And later get rid of shell dependencies. At any stage in the
process, there will be a fully usable GRASS on Windows. And everybody
can decide for themselves whether they want to have a package with
tcl/tk, wxpython, MSYS, NVIZ etc. or rather go with QGIS and Paraview.

Let's just forget about Cygwin.

Benjamin

Paolo Cavallini wrote:
> 
> 
> Michael Barton ha scritto:
> 
>> It is a simple zip file and easy to install. Currently, it requires you to
>> separately install TclTk, and Mysys if you want to use scripts. It needs
>> testing, but is very actively being worked on. This is the direction for
>> GRASS for Windows.
> 
> Soory: whan you say this, what do you exactly mean? We are using the
> qgis version, which has of course its limitations, but is very much
> usable, and far easier for novices.
> I think diversity is a byproduct of freedom, and we have several ways at
> hand.
> pc

-- 
Benjamin Ducke, M.A.
Archäoinformatik
(Archaeoinformation Science)
Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte
(Inst. of Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology)
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Johanna-Mestorf-Straße 2-6
D 24098 Kiel
Germany

Tel.: ++49 (0)431 880-3378 / -3379
Fax : ++49 (0)431 880-7300
www.uni-kiel.de/ufg