Am 08.10.2014 um 17:02 schrieb Riccardo (Jack) Lucchetti:
I've given this more thinking time, and I now think that we could
combine the two approaches that Allin suggested as follows: we scrap the
"gnuplot" command of most options and we leave it as a quick-n-dirty
tool for basic data visualisation: simple line graphs, xy plots, and the
like. Then, we introduce, for more sophisticated jobs, *two* new
constructs:
So overall we would have *four* different ways of tackling graphs if we
also count the 'textplot' command. I'm not sure this proliferation of
alternative methods is wise.
(1) a "plot" environment like the first one Allin envisaged. That is, a
block inside which we allow for special syntax which translates
internally into gnuplot commands, but basically follows the old
"gnuplot" command conventions. In other words, a pidgin language that is
neither hansl not gnuplot. Allin's example
Again, what I don't like about it is that it represents an
over-differentiation of plotting sophistication. If I see myself
explaining to colleagues "well you could use the <new stripped-down>
gnuplot command, unless you want to have this other line color, in which
case you need to write down a 'plot' environment, but except if you want
to have the areas overlapping, because then you really need to write
gnuplot code directly" -- that would be a nightmare.
What I like about this is that it is in principle backend-independent,
i.e. in the future you could use the same "pidgin" commands to trigger
some other graphics engine in the background, if somebody wrote the
necessary bindings.
OTOH however there is a tradeoff; I think Allin is also right in that he
doesn't want to reinvent the wheel and thus chose to outsource the
plotting stuff to gnuplot. The logical implication then is that to
control plots users need to speak gnuplotish, instead of extending hansl
to that area.
Of course you could argue that gnuplot's results are just so great, only
the syntax bothers you. But is that really the general opinion? I
somehow doubt that.
cheers,
sven