[Help-gsl] C++ Shell

[slipbits]

I constructed a shallow shell in C++ around the data operations and 
structures given in chapter 8. You are welcome to use it and/or expand 
on it and/or abandon it. If there is any interest then I will change the 
shell to deal with all of the supported data types (float, int, ...), 
and to provide internal documentation (see Doxygen). Otherwise, it's yours.

If (further) interested, a similar shell can be constructed for C 
programs. It takes a tad more effort but the end result is the same. 
Again, if there's any interest I'll try to provide it.

To see an example of a C interface, albeit in C++, take a look at 
gnu.org/software/gslip and look at the treatment of arithmetic 
operations (SlipDatum). This idea can be productively used in GSL.

The approach has the advantage of allowing simple and consistent 
interfaces to GSL functions. As an example:

GSLMatrix matrix(row, col);
GSLVector vector(row);
GSLVector v(row);

allows:
GSLMatrix view_vector = matrix.view_vector(vector, 2, 3); // and
int maxM = matrix.max_index();
int maxV = vector.max_index();
int err  = vector.add(v);

and so on.

I don't understand the insistence that views be put on the stack in 
C/C++. This restriction is easy to circumvent and appears to be directed 
to a preferred coding style. If this is accurate, that a preferred 
coding style is encouraged, then might I suggest that the reliance on 
stack based requirements be removed or that some explanation be provided 
in the GSL manual to indicate why the particular coding style is preferred.

Please provide feedback.
art

attach: gsl.zip
Files:    gslData      super class
             gslBlock     block data structure
             gslMatrix   matrix operations
             gslVector   vector operations

gsl.zip
Description: Zip compressed data