[Qgis-developer] Re: Scripting QGIS from the outside using Python

[Stefan Keller]

Hi Marco

2012/3/20 Marco Hugentobler <marco.hugentobler at sourcepole.ch>:
> Hi Stefan
>
>> What could we do that the C++ API is better covered by Python bindings?
>
> You could add sip files.

Yes and no. As you know, we have tried to do so and found that it's
very difficult for somebody other than the code author to add those
files.

>> Would'nd it be wise to allow at least new code only being included in
>> a stable QGIS version when there exists a corresponding Python bindig
>> (.SIP file)
>
> In the case of the triangulation,
> such a bureaucratic rule would successfully have kept away the code from
> going into QGIS at all.
>
> Regards,
> Marco

I understand that programmers are lazy - I'm also a programmer :-> We
could differentiate between rapid prototyping C++ code in the core and
"stable".

In case of stable I would stick with this rule. When we added SIP
files recently we looked for better tools to support producing these
but did not found yet.

As another argument for this rule I'd like to argue that I like Python
plugins because it's faster and easier to develop (except you are a
C++ Jedi :->). So it's somehow a contradiction if you add C++ code
without Python binding because then you exclude Python programmers to
experiment with.

- Stefan