Subject: Re: Sci data model and IDL interface

From: Ethan Alpert <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 09:42:06 -0600

John Bates wrote:
> We did implement such a model using netCDF only to have IDL trash it
> when they went to a new version.

NCAR Graphics 4.0.1 has a scripting language with a data model that
is similar to the one outline by the original poster.

General NCAR Graphics info is at:

	http://ngwww.ucar.edu/info/ng4.0.1.html

The NCL Reference documentation is at:

	http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng4.0.1/ref/ncl/Overview.html

An NCL tutorial with examples is at:

	http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng4.0.1/ug/ncl/tutor/index.html
-- 
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Ethan Alpert						[email-masked]
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From: John Bates <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 10:45:43 -0600

Creating a data model aroung IDL is a bad idea because IDL does not use
either Fortran or C data model conventions.  Also, you would be locked
into a commercial package whose data model may change at any time
without notice and you would lose all your development work.

This would also be reinventing the wheel.  Efficient exchange of
scientific data is already available within Khoros 
(www.khoros.unm.edu) deveoped under DOD funding and the DARPA data
exchange standard.  Why not develop IDL applications at the end of
Khoros APIs?  It would be much easier and cost effective, unless you
were looking to reinvent the wheel.

John Bates

PS. We did implement such a model using netCDF only to have IDL trash it
when they went to a new version.

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From: [email-masked] (Walter Underwood)
Date: 28 Sep 1996 00:28:03 GMT

John Bates ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Creating a data model aroung IDL is a bad idea because IDL does not use
: either Fortran or C data model conventions.  Also, you would be locked
: into a commercial package ...

It sounds like we have two definitions of "IDL". The original posting
mentioned "OMG IDL", which is the Interface Definition Language used in
the CORBA standard from the Object Management Group. Using OMG IDL means
that you are *not* locked into a commercial package, since it is a 
standard implemented by multiple vendors.

Your definition of "IDL" is the Interactive Data Language from Research 
Systems, Inc. That *is* a commercial product.

Finally, I am very interested in efforts to define OMG IDL interfaces for
scientific data. My department at HP Labs is working on software interfaces
for HP instruments.

wunder
--
Walter Underwood
[email-masked]
1-415-857-2070 (voice)
1-415-852-8092 (fax)
http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Walter_Underwood/