[GRASS-dev] Re: [GRASS GIS] #76: Calculation of bearing between 2 points, using d.measure

[GRASS GIS]

#76: Calculation of bearing between 2 points, using d.measure
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  Reporter:  dylan        |       Owner:  grass-dev at lists.osgeo.org
      Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  new                      
  Priority:  minor        |   Milestone:  6.5.0                    
 Component:  default      |     Version:  unspecified              
Resolution:               |    Keywords:  d.measure                
  Platform:  Unspecified  |         Cpu:  Unspecified              
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Comment (by cmbarton):

 Not using a graphical user interface means typing controlling a module via
 typed commands (i.e. on the command line). Being able to enter screen x
 and y coordinates and return a bearing and distance could be useful; it
 might make GUI programming easier in fact. Using the command line is very
 useful for a variety of GIS functions of course and essential for
 scripting.

 d.measure is a GUI, but a very antiquated one. That is, it allows a user
 to interact with a graphic display using a mouse or other pointing device.
 Maintaining this very old, platform specific GUI in C (i.e., it requires
 an xterm environment that emulates even older graphic hardware displays)
 is problematic for a variety of other functions, as well as for having a
 consistent command line behavior in which the user types a command and the
 module creates a map, a graphic output, or returns text. We now have a GUI
 that is about 3 generations past the d.measure GUI environment that sits
 on top of the command line GRASS interface. Users can type all the
 commands they want without interference from the GUI. When the user wants
 to interact with the program graphically, the GUI can be used (or invoked
 if previously closed). Given all this, I can't see the reason to maintain
 an alternative, very old GUI for xterms only.

 Michael

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/76#comment:8>
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>