[GRASS-dev] GSoC proposal "Higher level API for C and C++" : need for discussion

[Moritz Lennert]

Le 1 février 2017 21:02:25 GMT+01:00, Martin Landa <landa.martin at gmail.com> a écrit :
>Hi,
>
>2017-02-01 17:59 GMT+01:00 Moritz Lennert
><mlennert at club.worldonline.be>:
>> I just the GSoC proposal for a "Higher level API for C and C++". I
>_think_ I
>> understand where this comes from, but it does raise some very
>fundamental
>> issues about how GRASS is written and should be written, notably, but
>not
>> only, the inclusion of a C++ API.
>>
>> I just want to ensure that there is sufficient discussion on the list
>about
>> such a project which could have far-reaching consequences. And if we
>ever
>> decide to for such a project, then I think it has to be made
>absolutely
>> clear that the student working on this needs to be extremely
>proficient in
>> C/C++. Otherwise, I'm afraid that we risk creating a great mess that
>might
>> need lots of cleanup work afterwards.
>
>please take a look at GAL project from 2008 [1]. Ma


Interesting. But was this ever discussed on the lists ?

I don't really agree with the idea that

"Unfortunately, its [GRASS'] development is stagnating because of small interest
from fresh and young developers. This is partially caused by the fact that its design and
concepts are overcome by modern practices in a software development."

I do not see GRASS stagnating. And even though GRASS uses an "old" language, and it's core was developed long ago, its code base, IMHO, still represents very good practice in terms of programming.

I also have to smile when reading that one of the obstacles to "modernization" of GRASS is the "unpleasant attitude of GRASS developers to the object­-oriented programming." 

I imagine that it's unpleasant if all you believe in is OO, but that doesn't necessarily make OO the naturally best way to go... :-)

All this said : I'm not against a reflection about a fundamental rewrite of GRASS, but a) it should be extensively discussed on this list before even starting to code anything and b) I'm afraid it's too big of a project for GSoC and that we would put the student in an uncomfortable position.

Moritz

>
>[1]
>https://dspace.vutbr.cz/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11012/53128/5989.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
>[2] https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/gi/article/viewFile/gi.3.1/2561