On Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 09:37:34AM -0700, Alan Irwin wrote: > On 2012-09-27 13:36+0200 Arjen Markus wrote: > > > On 2012-09-27 13:35, Andrew Ross wrote: > >> > >> Of course we could keep the current code as well and only enable > >> shapefile support if the library is present. Shapefile support would > >> be convenient for users. > >> > > > > Actually, that is what I had in mind. > > I think that this (only enable support if the dependent library is > present) is a good general approach. > So we could start with using shapelib (if present) to interpret > shapefile data. But in the long term I don't think we should stop there. > > I have mentioned the MIT-licensed OGR and GDAL possibilities before, > but let me do it again since they are so relevant to this discussion > and they are both more comprehensive now (more formats supported) > than when I mentioned them before. > > The OGR library (http://www.gdal.org/ogr/index.html) translates > between many vector formats for maps (see > http://www.gdal.org/ogr/ogr_formats.html for the full list) including > ESRI Shapefile format. > > The GDAL library (http://www.gdal.org/) similarly translates between > many raster formats for maps (see > http://www.gdal.org/formats_list.html for the full list). > > I think our long-term goal should be to interface our core library to > both the OGR and GDAL libraries (again, only if those libraries are > present). This would give PLplot users the powerful capability of > being able to translate most available map formats into either a > standard internal vector form (probably shapefile according to this > current thread) or standard internal raster form (probably PNM > following what we do with the "Lena" image) and modify that internal > form with extra decorations and transformations as in example 19.
I'd support the use of OGR / GDAL. I've had some experience of their utilities and they also form the basis of file import / export for free GIS software such as Grass. As such they are pretty widely ported and packaged. Andrew ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Everyone hates slow websites. So do we. Make your web apps faster with AppDynamics Download AppDynamics Lite for free today: http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;258768047;13503038;j? http://info.appdynamics.com/FreeJavaPerformanceDownload.html _______________________________________________ Plplot-devel mailing list Plplot-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/plplot-devel
