[IPython-dev] [sympy] Re: using reST for representing the notebook cells+text

[Brian Granger]

Ooopps, hit keyboard shortcut for send...

> Using Python allows the notebook format to be extended by simple
> subclassing:
>
> class MatplotlibFigureCell(Cell):

This subclass could contain all the logic for representing the
matplotlib figure in different formats: html, jpeg, svg, native pyqt
gui, etc and could be distributed with matplotlib.

Sure, if your notebook uses the MatplotlibCell, you will need
matplotlib, but the validation of that aspect is handled by python
itself, not an XML schema.

Doing these types of things using XML would require all of this to be
put into the centralized XML schema, making it difficult for third
parties to extend.  Plus all of the additional logic associated with
that Cell type has to be put somewhere as well.

[I am thinking aloud here...not sure if all of this would pan out in
practice...only actual code would
tell...]

[For what it is worth, while I *love* the idea of having a reST based
notebook format, I think it is simply
too limiting in the long run.  Between reST and XML, I think XML wins...]

Cheers,

Brian


>
>
>
>> --
>> Robert Kern
>>
>> "I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless
>> enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as
>> though it had an underlying truth."
>>  -- Umberto Eco
>> _______________________________________________
>> IPython-dev mailing list
>> IPython-dev at scipy.org
>> http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/ipython-dev
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Brian E. Granger, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Physics
> Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo
> bgranger at calpoly.edu
> ellisonbg at gmail.com
>



-- 
Brian E. Granger, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Physics
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo
bgranger at calpoly.edu
ellisonbg at gmail.com