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Re: Redirecting Octave IO


From: Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso
Subject: Re: Redirecting Octave IO
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 09:27:53 -0600

2011/2/6 RC Crozier <address@hidden>:
> 1. select some text in the command window, press the F9 key and have it sent
> to octave as a command.

Okay, QtOctave doesn't do this one.

> 2. select some text in an editor window, press the F9 key and have
> it sent to octave as a command.

Did you even try it? QtOctave implements this.

> 3. have an editor window (with the above ability) with decent syntax
> highlighting (I plan to implement this with scintillaNET, a .NET
> control that wraps scintilla).

QtOctave does have its own editor with its own syntax highlighting,
but perhaps you consider it indecent.

> 4. The ability to copy and paste text in the command window using
> C-c and C-v, not currently possible in the windows console.

QtOctave does this, in its weird way, because it's making the same
mistake you are making and many other attempts at writing a GUI have
made: sending output via a pipe (i.e. redirecting IO), instead of
hooking onto the readline idle loop. OctaveDE is the only one I know
that gets this right.

> 5. The ability to step forward etc. when debugging by pressing one
> of the F keys

This is kind of implemented but not too well in QtOctave. Debugging is
possible but awkward. And I think you're underestimating how difficult
it is to get it working correctly. You won't have a fun time
implementing this with pipes.

At any rate, I have added your requests to my hg clone of the QtOctave
codebase:

     https://bitbucket.org/jordigh/qtoctave/issues

One further thing, by working with .NET, you are limiting your
contributions to the Windows world, unless you are making sure that
Mono is also able to compile and run your code. It won't be as much
use if release .NET source than if you use a true cross-platform
framework as Qt. I understand that perhaps this is your goal, and
while there is nothing wrong with being selfish, it is much better to
be generous towards other Octave users.

I am going to try one last time to dissuade you from going along this
route. You are repeating mistakes that other GUI authors have already
made; you are tying your work to a particular platform (unless you're
using Mono), you will most likely not reach the goal of creating the
GUI you want, and you will get bored/frustrated before you create what
you want. Instead, please invest the time it takes to understand
someone else's code and improve it. It is a much better long-term
investment if you are serious about giving Octave a good native GUI,
which is one of the most frequent requests from Octave users.

- Jordi G. H.


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