> I am new to coot, but I have already discovered how powerful extensions and > key bindings can be. My question is quite simple: if I want to generate my > own extension or keybinding, which scripting language is better suited? I am > not very familiar with either but willing to experiment.
I'd use whichever language you find easier to express whatever you're trying to do. Which one is easier to learn will depend on your programming background. > Some of the documentation is for python some for scheme: "the scripting > interface" is python and the "reference manual" is scheme. Are all functions > awailable for both? Or does one have any advantage over the other? I started using scheme for historical reasons (a few years back I was having trouble building coot, and the linux binaries shipped with scheme enabled) and have stuck with it since. > What is other users preference: python or scheme, and why? How often do > people, other than developers, create extensions? And finally to the scheme > scripters: how did you learn scheme? I almost never write full-blown extensions. On the other hand, it's incredibly useful to have scripting built in to deal with specific situations (stuff like changing the default display of models and symmetry mates to alpha-carbon, or loading a set of maps in one shot). As far as learning scheme, I'd check out SCIP (structure and interpretation of computer programs). Aside from that, it's just another functional language that likes parenthesis. Pete
