Re: graphics file format

[Joao Cardoso]

John W. Eaton wrote:
> 
> On 10-Feb-1999, (Ted Harding) <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> | Once again, the main problem with moving away from gnuplot for octave
> | is that contouring and syrface drawing routines have to be created within
> | octave itself: octave so far relies on guplot to do these jobs.

Not with PLplot. It support countouring, shading and surface plot.
<http://merlin.inescn.pt/~qual> (sorry for the unsolicited advertise).

> 
> Not to mention the fact that Octave supports weird gnpulot syntax that
> would either have to be duplicated for other graphics packages (a lot

That's why plplot_octave try to duplicate the usual Octave plot
commands.

> of work), left in as an interface to gnuplot only (maintenance
> trouble), or just plain scrapped (probably not a popular option).
> 
> This should provide a lesson for those who would like to tack a GUI
> toolkit or graphics package on to Octave by providing a simple
> interface that exposes details of the underlying package.  It seems
> like a great idea until you decide that the underlying graphics
> package is not what you really want.  By then you have a lot code that
> depends on the interface and it is difficult to change.  I wish I had
> paid more attention to this problem way back when.

The longer you wait worse... :-). As this subject has appeared so many
times in this list, why don't someone (you, the designer) draw a
protocol interface and let others implement it on their prefered plot
package?

Joao

> 
> Catching up on old mail,
> 
> jwe

-- 
Joao Cardoso                |   e-mail: address@hidden
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