Re: [Plplot-devel] State of the Union

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

Thanks very much, Geoffrey, for this extensive statement of the future
possibilities for PLplot.

I have a question about one area that caught my eye.  I would like to know
the effort required to convert the core of PLplot to C++.  How much
full-time would it take for *you* to sit down and re-write the whole core of
PLplot (excluding drivers) in C++?  Is this a project that would take say a
week of your vacation time or would this require several months full time
before you got something that was beginning to be useful.

My C++ skills are non-existent, but if you say there are lots of benefits to
moving to a C++ core, I believe you and would be willing to learn it.
Certainly, the KDE team absolutely swear by C++ as a way to get newbie
programmers quickly writing code.  Although the KDE experience with a
massive C++ project has exposed some Linux C++ weaknesses, my impression is
those are rapidly becoming solved. For example, apparently some of the long
start up times for KDE apps are due to a Linux binutils problem with C++
that is about to be fixed.

I am concerned about the change to a C++ core from the point of view of the
various front ends.  How would that work?  If no direct extension of a
front-end was available for C++ (e.g., the yplot yorick front end) would you
provide C wrappers for your C++ core?  I did notice that my favorite
front end, python, discusses C and C++ extensions simultaneously so I
don't think there would be a problem for that front end.

Alan