Hi everyone Surely there must be a modern C-callable (and implemented! No java or python please) plotting library which supports objects, transparency, GUI embedding,PDF etc., looks attractive, is cross-platform and is efficient for large datasets?
Karl On 31/01/2013, at 7:12 PM, Timothy Pickering <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> Based on the past few days of posts, I'd like to open up a thorny issue: >> >> Do we have a plotting package that installs smoothly across all three major >> platforms? >> >> I've been playing with python and matplotlib for a couple of months now, and >> although the OO interface is a royal pain, at least I know I can send a >> script to students/collaborators and it will just *work* for them. >> >> I've seen that PLplot is throwing up errors for some people, and now we have >> Gnuplot grumbling as well. PGPLOT is still difficult to install and not >> interactive-friendly.... >> >> If we want more PDL adopters, we should pick a plotting system and put all >> our energies in making that work flawlessly for a couple of years, so that >> interested people don't get discouraged. >> >> I also have a selfish reason - if we choose something other than PGPLOT, it >> means a rewrite of the PDL Book, and I don't want to make the investment of >> time if we suddenly decide that 'oops, $PLOTTING_SYSTEM isn't working >> anymore/new shiny thing is the way to go'. >> >> I'd be happy to get any plotting package working for the SciPDL Mac binary >> working, if we get a general consensus here. >> >> Matt > > i'm going to be an instigator again and point out that pgplot, plplot, and > gnuplot are all ~20 year old pieces of legacy software. at least gnuplot is > actively maintained and evolving, but pgplot has hardly been touched in ~10 > years. i've tried plplot a few times, but always ended up throwing up my > hands after a short while. maintaining dependencies with packages like these > will always be a headache and will hold back adoption and evolution of PDL. > note that i haven't looking into prima at all, however. > > tying back into the previous discussion about notebook-type interfaces like > what ipython has i'd like to point out the existence of http://d3js.org/. > ipython notebooks are great, but using matplotlib graphics within a browser > is rather limiting. integrating something like D3 opens up a lot more > flexibility and capability. a browser-based PDL shell that used D3 for > plotting could be pretty kick butt.... > > tim > > -- > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ > | T. E. Pickering, Ph.D. | Southern African Large Telescope | > | SALT Astronomer | SAAO | > | [email protected] (520) 305-9823 | Observatory Road | > | [email protected] +27(0)214606284 | 7925 Observatory, South Africa | > +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ > overflow error in /dev/null > > > > _______________________________________________ > Perldl mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/perldl _______________________________________________ Perldl mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/perldl
