Re: [Plplot-devel] Default colours for PLplot

[Alan W. I. <ir...@be...>]

On 2005-04-27 21:53-0500 mj...@ga... wrote:

> Alan W. Irwin writes:
> > The problem is that every developer that discussed it before you is
> > privately doing special options to overcome the black background problem. In
> > fact some of those options to change colours have crept into individual
> > device drivers such as gd.c.  So I think very few developers like the
> > current default colours. Assuming our goal is to have good colour defaults, I
> > think it is clear we should change that default just as we have done so
> > recently for fonts.
>
> There is a world of difference.  You're talking about changing something in
> the core that is going to radically change the appearance of EACH AND EVERY
> PLOT once anyone links to the new library.  Hey, let's just break everything;
> throw away the API, change the linkage, change the names of the tools.

You obviously have strong views, but I think you surprised everybody by
coming in so late with them after everybody else agreed on list this was a
positive change and the discussion started by Tom had completely petered out
and the change was made by him.  I know you are extremely busy so probably
the lateness of your comments was unavoidable. I emphasize that lateness
doesn't mean your views are wrong, just a surprise after everybody else
reached consensus.

> Want to develop a different color model?  Great.  Do it on a branch.  Have
> it be optional at first.  Plan for an eventual cutover.  Plan for a way
> to users to get the old behavior back.  Do some research into how this
> might possibly affect people.

You will make your points a lot better if you stay calm and also read
everything I said.  Here are the last two paragraphs from my
post which you seem to have ignored.

"So I think the question really boils down to what is the best way to get
from the old default colours to the new ones without overly disrupting
users.

For example, do you think legacy needs would be satisfied by having an
-oldcolor option that was well-advertised?"

That sounds a lot like what you have just said so there is plenty of common
ground between us, but you haven't acknowledged that common ground exists in
the slightest.  Note, an -oldcolor option that brings back the old default
colors should be trivial to do if that is what is required.

Alan
__________________________
Alan W. Irwin
email: ir...@be...
phone: 250-727-2902

Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).

Programming affiliations with the FreeEOS equation-of-state implementation
for stellar interiors (freeeos.sf.net); PLplot scientific plotting software
package (plplot.org); the Yorick front-end to PLplot (yplot.sf.net); the
Loads of Linux Links project (loll.sf.net); and the Linux Brochure Project
(lbproject.sf.net).
__________________________

Linux-powered Science
__________________________