No subject

and then develop in C++. I used to use TCL (because nothing else was around
in the old days), but switched to Python because I found that students and
coders were more able to use Python than TCL mainly because of syntax
issues. The main point is that the syntax of Python is modern but TCL is
not.

Is there a really strong reason for supporting TCL in the future?

I have no issues with Java and Python and our efforts should go to
supporting these two languages. I acknowledge that there is an Achilles heel
in Python in that Python 3+ is different from 2.x but you can work around
these issues and I am seeing some development now moving off 2.x to version
3.x. However the Python 3.x api seems to be closer to C++ than the 2.x
versions so in the future more programmers will move to it.

Regards
  Andrew

-- 
___________________________________________
Andrew J. P. Maclean
Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR)
The Rose Street Building J04
The University of Sydney  2006  NSW
AUSTRALIA
Ph: +61 2 9351 3283
Fax: +61 2 9351 7474
URL: http://www.acfr.usyd.edu.au/
___________________________________________

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<div>Hi All,</div>This=A0is just for discussion and it was prompted by a th=
row-away comment by someone in the last VTK ARB Meeting regarding TCL.<div>=
<br><div>So:</div><div>In the beginning ... when VTK was just a baby (and a=
 lot of you at Kitware were still in primary school!), TCL was really essen=
tial and useful because at that time there were no other rapid development/=
prototyping languages that were cross-platform and easy to use. So at that =
time (late 90&#39;s early 2000&#39;s) TCL was really great in that you coul=
d=A0rapidly=A0prototype something and then code in C++. Yes I know that Pyt=
hon was around at that time but TCL usage was more widespread.<div>
<br></div><div>Now... we have Python and using Python is really convenient =
because the transition to C++ and or Java is=A0relatively=A0simple.</div><d=
iv><br></div><div>I know that there are still tests and examples that use T=
CL in the VTK tree but lots of these have moved to C++.=A0</div>
<div>Also if you look in wikiexamples, there are 6 tcl examples vs around 5=
9 python examples, 11 java and lots and lots of C++ examples. So to me this=
 is saying that TCL is fading into obscurity. You could argue on these=A0fi=
gures=A0that Java is not doing so well either but good Java programmers can=
=A0easily=A0convert C++ to Java so I suspect Java programmers just use the =
C++ examples.</div>
<div><br></div><div>From my own experience I have found it is far simpler t=
o prototype in Python and then develop in C++. I used to use TCL (because n=
othing else was around in the old days), but switched to Python because I f=
ound that students and coders were more able to use Python than TCL mainly =
because of syntax issues. The main point is that the syntax of Python is mo=
dern but TCL is not.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Is there a really strong reason for supporting TCL in t=
he future?</div><div>=A0</div><div>I have no issues with Java and Python an=
d our efforts should go to supporting these two languages. I=A0acknowledge=
=A0that there is an=A0Achilles=A0heel in Python in that Python 3+ is differ=
ent from 2.x but you can work around these issues and I am seeing some deve=
lopment now moving off 2.x to version 3.x.=A0However=A0the Python 3.x api s=
eems to be closer to C++ than the 2.x versions so in the future more progra=
mmers will move to it.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Regards</div><div>=A0 Andrew</div><div><br>-- <br>_____=
______________________________________<br>Andrew J. P. Maclean<br>Australia=
n Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR)<br>The Rose Street Building J04<br>The U=
niversity of Sydney=A0 2006=A0 NSW<br>
AUSTRALIA<br>Ph: +61 2 9351 3283<br>Fax: +61 2 9351 7474<br>URL: <a href=3D=
"http://www.acfr.usyd.edu.au/" target=3D"_blank">http://www.acfr.usyd.edu.a=
u/</a><br>___________________________________________<br>
</div></div></div>

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