Re: [Gnuplot-py-users] Re: Contributions to Gnuplot.py

Michael Haggerty wrote:
> Well, I have to say that I would like to keep a "clean" interface on the 
> Gnuplot class--that is to say, easily understandable, straightforward to 
> implement, and without too many special cases.  This can include some of 
> the features suggested but not all of them.  Then I think it would be 
> excellent to derive from it an "interactive Gnuplot" class with any 
> other hairy and terse convenience features, special cases, and whatever 
> else that people want.  Of course we can make any reasonable changes to 
> the Gnuplot class that are needed to allow the derived class to be 
> implemented.

That makes perfect sense.  My ipython code is _somewhat_ structured in that 
matter, with GnuplotInteractive and GnuplotRuntime modules meant for easier 
interactive/scripting use respectively.  I'm sure you can organize things 
somewhat differently, but that might be a start (after all, the code is 
already written and works).

> 
> Let's put together a wish list for the "interactive Gnuplot" class and 
> then decide how to split the implementation between the old and the new 
> class.
> 
> One feature that definitely can go into the Gnuplot class is the special 
> conversion of 1-D arrays into datasets with one column.

My personal 'wishlist' is basically the existing code in ipython.  I've pretty 
much put in everything I wanted (or most things, at least) in there. The files 
are:

[IPython]> ls Gnu*py
Gnuplot2.py -- rewrite of the code I wanted to actually modify
GnuplotInteractive.py  GnuplotRuntime.py  -- thin wrappers for 
interactive/scripting use.

You (whoever does the actual work :) would probably want to move some of my 
more intrusive changes out of the Gnuplot2 code and put them into the upper 
layers, and keep some of the less intrusive stuff (and bugfixes like the 
hardcopy one) in Gnuplot.py-mainline.

> Based on recent performance, it is pretty clear that I won't have time 
> for a lot of new implementation soon, so ideally somebody would 
> volunteer to work on "interactive Gnuplot" features.  (I could commit to 
> make any necessary changes to the main Gnuplot classes.)  I can give 
> that person write permission on CVS at sourceforge so you can work 
> independently.  Anyone?

Unfortunately, my hands are more than full with ipython.  Ipython is about as 
much as I can handle right now beyond 'real work', and there are some 
substantial changes I want to do which will take all of my available time.

But the existing code in ipython could be hopefully used to jumpstart things, 
and I'll gladly assist with discussion/changes to that.  If there are any 
licensing/copyright changes that you may want done, I'm perfectly happy making 
them.

Cheers,

f.