Re: [Plplot-devel] New java configuration completed and tested and other configuration news

[<jc...@fe...>]

On Tuesday 17 December 2002 05:51, Alan W. Irwin wrote:
=2E..
| All drivers (configured both dynamically and statically) are also now
| configured with the new scheme. So there should be no further major
| additions to the current configuration scheme

I don't quite agree. If your AT effort does simplify our (developper)=20
job, by automatically providing plplot on (potentially) new platforms,=20
it does turns the development cycle longer and tedious, because the=20
need to "make install".

The problem is how to develop in the build tree without the need to=20
install. There are three situations:

1-finding data like fonts, etc. This should be pretty easy, so I would=20
solve it last.

2-finding libraries: libraries will be found by executables, thanks to a=20
wrapper with the same name of the executable that points to the .libs=20
hidden libraries. This point is also solved, but we must be sure that=20
the build tree library is searched first than an installed library by=20
the executable wrappers.

3-finding drivers: this currently does not work. drivers must be=20
installed, and this means "make && make install" after each=20
modification to a driver. As "make install" also installs other files,=20
this might add difficulties to a debugging cycle, see bellow.

4-interpreted languages that dlopen they own plplot extensions.=20
Currently Octave only works with plplot installed. I don't know if=20
other languages has the same problem, but to avoid misunderstandings,=20
please "rm -rf <prefix>" before reporting a working binding: in my=20
case, I do "make && make install &&  rm -rf /usr/local/test/bin=20
/usr/local/test/include/ /usr/local/test/python/ /usr/local/test/share/=20
/usr/local/test/lib/lib* /usr/local/test/lib/plplot5.1.0/tcl". When=20
point 1 and 3 above becomes solved, than a plain "rm -rf <prefix>" will=20
be enough.

Thus, while I agree that AT is a good thing, there is still work to do=20
to make our developper life confortable.

Joao

PS-No, I will not upgrade my 700MHz P4 :-)