[summerofcode] shag: a graphics shell (summer of code project)

[Ian Bicking]

Greg Roth wrote:
> I have an idea for a project that is similar to python, but has nothing
> to do with python per se. I'm developing a shell for graphics that
> allows users to issue commands that would otherwise need to be couched
> in a general-purpose language with whatever linking and such that would
> involve.

It sounds like you want to make something with the same basic intention 
as Logo, but with more modern graphics.

> The intention of this project is to create a more interesting
> environment for beginning programs who  get more excited by spinning
> cubes than "hello world" and serves as a pedagogical tool for anyone
> interested in understanding the graphics pipeline in general, the OpenGL
> interface in particular, or just wants to try something quick and dirty
> without having to go through all the language issues such
> experimentation would otherwise involve.

I would strong recommend not creating a new language.  Very strongly. 
Having looked at many of the open source implementations of "logo", 
there's a lot of them that just take Logo turtle graphics, and then 
create what the author things is a simpler or easier-to-implement 
language.  I think this is a huge waste -- the languages are usually not 
easier to implement or program in than Logo.  (And I'm afraid I'd have 
to include Guido van Robot in this assessment)

You wouldn't necessarily have to use Logo -- though I think it is a very 
good language for this purpose -- but I think you should use an existing 
language (if not the implementation, then the basic syntax).

If you are interested in Logo, I'd be willing to mentor a project using 
PyLogo (pylogo.org).  The language is pretty much implemented -- I had 
thought about adding OO extensions (and the stuff in the repository may 
be mid-refactoring as a result), but it's not really that important. 
Most of the work would be in creating an interesting environment to work 
with (sprites and graphics and editors and all that), which might be 
what interests you about the project.

I imagine you could probably also find a PSF mentor for Guido van Robot, 
if you were interested in extending that environment.

-- 
Ian Bicking  /  ianb at colorstudy.com  / http://blog.ianbicking.org