From graphics-request at octave dot org Fri Dec 17 04:41:13 2004
Subject: Re: Octave GUI API: Proposal.
From: N Smethurst <nick dot smethurst at free dot fr>
To: graphics at octave dot org
Cc: Ole Jacob Hagen <waterthrill at yahoo dot no>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 11:43:18 +0100

Hello all.

In an effort to come back from the dead and reintroduce myself into the Octave 
community, I wish to offer my help in the design of the Octave GUI layer.

I have, of course, a keen interest; it is something Ole and I have talked 
about in the past and intended to start.

My current comments are:

1. The base GUI layer must not depend on any libraries other than those which 
Octave already depends.

2. I would suggest a simple plugin system for implementing specific GUI 
systems, where the plugin library could be specified at Octave startup.

3. The base GUI layer should take the form of handle graphics, with higher 
functionality written as .m files.

What I lack currently is:

1/ lots of time

- this is something I need to sort out myself

2/ a deep understanding of the class hierarchy in Octave.

- I ask therefore if someone could write or point us to a full explanation of 
the class hierarchy, and how to create custom types in Octave. The last time 
I looked (I admit this was some time ago) there was limited documentation.

On Friday 17 Dec 2004 10:42, Ole Jacob Hagen wrote:
> We are also planning to make a octave-internal graphics object handler,
> but have made a Props package to Oplot, which is an external library
> that comes with Oplot. This package is using callbacks, when a property
> has changed.

Ole: could the Props package form the base of a internal Octave GUI layer?

Regards to all and I hope we can implement a simple but effective GUI layer in 
Octave soon.

Nick