[Image-SIG] Re: Your wish is my command (long)

[Fredrik Lundh]

>> Well, the term "band" is actually take from an ISO 12087, which AFAIK is
>> the only international standard discussing image processing libraries...
>> there's a few other historical things in PIL, including the name "mode" for
>> the pixel format, the string "L" for greyscale images, etc.
>
>That explains it.  ISO 12087 was probably composed in French.  I bet you
>that `band' is a literal translation of a French word by someone who didn't
>know what a connotative mess he was making.  Please don't propagate this
>error.

Nope. This has nothing to do with weird european languages; it's more
of an "image processing" vs. "computer graphics" issue.

Image processing folks (like me) usually get their images from some kind of
sensor (usually an RGB scanner or camera, but there's many other sources).
And most sensors have bandpass characteristics, so the term "band" is more
accurate than "channel"...

If you still think this is a european plot, take a look at XIE (X's Image
Extension, designed by 100% americans), or XIL (Sun's Image Processing
Library).  Or look at your nearest remote sensing FAQ; it should explain
acronyms like:

    BIP, Band Interleaved by Pixel
    BIL, Band Interleaved by Line
    BSQ, Band SeQuential

IMHO, the term "band" is much more well-defined in the image processing
universe than words like "object", "instance", "type", and "garbage collection"
are in the programming universe...

Cheers /F
fredrik@pythonware.com
http://www.pythonware.com