Re: [Plplot-devel] Remove deprecated functions from API?

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

On Monday 03 March 2003 17:02, Alan W. Irwin wrote:
> Here is a list of functions in our API that have been officially deprec=
ated
> (in comments and documentation) since 2000 (and probably for even longe=
r).
> I searched for these using "deprecated" or "Do <emphasis>not</emphasis>=
 use
> this" in api.xml.
> Alternatives that can be used instead are put on the right.
>
> "deprecated"
> plclr =3D=3D> pleop
> plcol =3D=3D> plcol0
> plpage =3D=3D> plbop
>
> "Do <emphasis>not</emphasis> use this"
> plhls =3D=3D> plHLS_RGB followed by plscol0
> plrgb =3D=3D> plscol0
> plrgb1 =3D=3D> plscol0
>
> The first 3 are implemented with #defines.  I guess there is no harm in
> continuing to keep them, but in the interests of keeping things as simp=
le
> as possible for our users, I would prefer to remove them from the API a=
nd
> documentation.  There has certainly been enough notice given!

I agree on removing them from the docs, but not from plplot.h.
As you say, there is no harm, and not being documented new users won't us=
e=20
them.
But I think that plotsh3d() and MinMax2dGrid() could be removed, because =
they=20
had such an ephemeral life. I don't know for how long the other defines h=
ave=20
been there.
To safely remove them all, after one or two more releases, I would do the=
=20
following:

#define    plclr=09plclr_replace_me_with_pleop

and users will get a linker error:
   undefined reference to `plclr_replace_me_with_pleop'

But I'm sure that most of you won't agree on this.

> The second group of three are actually coded rather than #defined,

In that case I would replace the code with something like plexit("plrgb: =
as I=20
could be doing Bad Things to your program, I was (ex)terminated") and wai=
t=20
one or two more releases to remove them all.

But again not everybody likes this kind of jokes when they are working.

Joao

> and are
> a more serious matter because they completely break are cmap0 paradigm.=
=20
> They use the cmap0 colour index of PL_RGB_COLOR=3D128 to store the colo=
ur.=20
> This is likely to cause heap corruption since by default we have only 1=
6
> cmap0 colours.  Even when we have allocated enough colours for this to
> work, these functions pound away on the 128th colour, regardless, which
> will certainly confuse users wanting to use that colour index for somet=
hing
> else.  I do not know who put in the "Do NOT use this" comment in the co=
de,
> but I completely agree with them.  Note, plhls calls plHLS_RGB, then pl=
rgb
> so has the same problems as plrgb (and plrgb1).
>
> I think it is definitely long past time to remove the second three (and
> possibly the first three) from the API.
>
> Comments, please?
>
> Alan
> __________________________
> Alan W. Irwin
> email: ir...@be...
> phone: 250-727-2902
>
> Astronomical research affiliation with Department of Physics and Astron=
omy,
> University of Victoria (astrowww.phys.uvic.ca).
>
> Programming affiliations with the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling=
 and
> Analysis (www.cccma.bc.ec.gc.ca) and the PLplot scientific plotting
> software package (plplot.org).
>
> __________________________
>
> Linux-powered Science
> __________________________
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
> Welcome to geek heaven.
> http://thinkgeek.com/sf
> _______________________________________________
> Plplot-devel mailing list
> Plp...@li...
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/plplot-devel