Re: Should gnuplot become a programming environment?

[Philipp K. J. <ja...@ie...>]

On Thu, 13 Nov 2014 10:39:16 +0100
pl...@pi... wrote:

> On 11/12/14 07:11, Daniel J Sebald wrote:
> >> Now, gnuplot has begun to become a programming
> >> >environment. This will make gnuplot more
> >> >complicated: more complicated to learn, but
> >> >eventually also more complicated to develop for.
> 
> If it's too complicated to learn the available programming features, 
> don't learn them.

This sounds so right, but I don't think it is.

That argument rests on the assumptions that you
CAN ignore "those features". That's true for (say)
the new "set pointintervalbox" feature (very useful,
by the way) - if you never knew it was there, your
live won't be any different.

What bothers me about those "programming features"
is that they WILL start a paradigm shift in how
gnuplot is used, and in what ways it will be 
developed. Today, you can "ignore" them. But my
prediction is that before too long, you won't
anymore, because that's simply "how it's done".

Programming features have a tendency to beget more
programming features. Look at almost any language
out there - they all keep growing (C being the 
exception).

The horror story here is Python - every single 
"clever" feature they introduced turned out to
have edge cases that needed even more, even
"cleverer" features to handle them properly.

(C stayed small because it was designed to be small.)

> 
> You are then at the same point as if the features were not available
> and gnuplot becomes easier to learn again. ;)
> 
> If you can't  cope with those features, don't  use them when
> "developing for" gnuplot.

Remember: the life you save may be your own.

It's not each individual "programming feature"
that I am concerned about, but their interactions,
long term. Python (again) is a horror story of
"unintended consequences".

Individual arguments aside, I'd like to raise
the strategic question: does gnuplot want to
catch up to matlab, R, numpy - is that the right
direction? (I don't think so, but that's not
important. What IS important is that the matter
is being discussed and pros and contras are
being considered.)

[snip]

> This is a non argument.

I don't think trying to shut down an exchange of 
ideas is a way to move the world forward. Or, to 
use your logic from above: "If you don't like the 
discussion, don't join it."

Peter - you can do better than that!

> 
> Peter.
> 
> 
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