[Edu-sig] The fate of vpython

[Arthur]

Dan Crosta wrote:

>If the author of VPython is not planning to work on it for several  
>months
>
The situation is that the actual authors of vpython are gone, as in 
graduated, moved on with their lives...

Bruce is more an adminstrator/funder (through a NSF grant) of the project. 

Essentially there is no developer as such involved in the project at 
this point.  Which is why I am concerned.

> and you aren't planning to do anything other than make it  
>compatible with a soon-to-be released version of one of its  
>dependencies (is that the relationship b/w VPython and NumPy?), then  
>why not carry on work from 4.0b5? 
>
Because it is has "serious bugs", and I have no motivation to even try 
to address those serious bugs at this time since they are
less serious, to me, than the lack of NumPy compatibility.

And because it is more realistic that I, working alone, might be  able 
to get to the Numpy issue - less so thatI can get to the bugs. I assume 
forward
porting a Numpy fix would be a small issue - but, as I say, I am not 
counting on the 4.xxx branch getting revived and until it does I think it
is more important to keep the 3.xxx branch alive and healthy.

If nothing develops here I might take the route of trying to implore the 
scipy folks into taking some interest in the problem.  For them it might
represent only a few hours work to at least get the Numpy compatibility 
issue resolved.  In fact, moving the project under the scipy umbrella
might be just the thing.

Except only that as part of scipy it will perceived in its more serious 
aspect and the fact that it makes a great little toy for beginners to 
play with will
get lost..  This versality is what I think is so significant about the 
project, and why I have concerns as to its fate.

Art



Art