My thoughts on the main question - I like PGPLOT because it is fast. Python's matplotlib is pretty but seems to bog down quite quickly with large data sets (it would be interesting to add that to the plotting speed plot but I don't have the python skills)
- Philosophically I like the idea of distinguishing PDL from SciPy by being faster and more memory efficient and flexible. If SciPy is the child-friendly family sedan, then PDL is the drag racer. Ugly, scares the children (well PhD students), has bits hanging out but fast. :-) - given this I am uncomfortable with the idea of a pipe and another language (gnuplot). I know when I plot that 4K image with PGPLOT the thing is passed straight in memory via a pointer. The things I don't like about PGPLOT - fortran, hard build system - have to use X11 driver (Aquaterm is too slow) - at least it's a fast driver - now PDF driver - no transparency, old fashioned colour model (LUTs!) and contouring seems broken - no 3D - no development since 2001, pointless Caltech copyright - no nice way to make widgets How does PLPlot and PRIMA compare? The video I saw of PRIMA looked nice - I keep meaning to try it out! But something like the PRIMA notebook would give us a cool feature Karl ---------------- astronomy.swin.edu.au/karl galacticturmoil.org @karlglazebrook _______________________________________________ Perldl mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/perldl
