[MATRIX-SIG] [long] A NO-Proposal for a plot-package

[Aaron Watters]

> ...I would just voice some concern about a charter which specifies a
> singular solution.  I say this because I think it is clear that there
> are going to be multiple plotting solutions in Python whether they get
> the blessing of the plot-sig or not.  I would suggest preserving the
> basic idea, but eliminating a proscription for a single solution...

I think it would be nice to *promote* a singular solution, if possible.
If people want to do something different, the can and will. If the
singular solution was amenible to customization and extension,
so much the better.

> ... haven't followed gui-sig, so I can't comment on the phenomenology
> there.  But I do think it would be useful to avoid a proscriptive
> attempt to produce the "One True Python Plotting Package"...

Actually, theres a good name: OTPPP!
I haven't followed the GUI sig either, but I've been disappointed
with the results.  Frankly maybe if Guido had picked one gui
either that gui would be really really good now, or in self defense
another alternative would have gotten much better and replaced
it.  As it is, I'm hoping that Fredrik and Mark H. will fight it out
for market share (perhaps with Jim A. silently sharpening wpy
in the background and pyawt in the wings) and both 
pythonwin and tkinter will end up
really really good, or shamed by some clearly better alternative. 
Endless discussions generate a lot of email...

If someone has the fortitude perhaps they could "just write it"
and use the Numeric/Graphics/Plot SIG as a source of suggestions,
much like Jim H did with Numeric.  I prefer proofs of concepts
to discussions. We might still be wishing for a good Numerics
library if he hadn't. -- Aaron Watters

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