Jon Schull wrote:
Bob Ippolito wrote:
Open source developers work on whatever they want or need to work on, so the particular problems you have will get solved when someone with the time, skill, and motivation to do so decides to scratch that itch. If you want to speed this process along, you have a few options:
- Persuade a suitable developer to work on the problem areas you have (usually with money or a job) - Fix the problems you have yourself (hey, at least you CAN) - Deal with it as-is
.. beggars can't be choosers :)
-bob [ comment in the context of distribution packages but it applies to the discussion of IDE chaos as well].
My comment:
(1) In this business, beggars do choose, and they vote with their feet. If a beginner-friendly IDE is not an interesting problem for cognoscenti, the python foundation (or some such) should step in, or the python community should consider the possibility that the demographics of the development community is in danger of ceding the next generation...
Interesting comment. I do know that there is a lot of interest in Python in the scientific community. Some SIAM (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics -- BIG coverage there) conferences have had special minisymposia on using Python for numerical coding. But most people just have no idea where to start or are put off by all the packages out there and the need to find one's way through the forest. I suspect a simple "all-in-one" package of Python for Scientists, Mathematicians, and Engineers (a la MATLAB) would be a hit. Given the existence of Matplotlib in Python that might be a reasonable target. Even if it were just a "poor man's MATLAB" that would be fine. Just so long as it installed in one shot and was reasonable easy to use. But maybe that's asking a lot. I don't know.
That all-in-one need is what propelled MATLAB to become a standard in some areas of Engineering and Science. Of course, you have to be able to afford several thousand US$ to get up and running.
-- Cheers,
Lou Pecora
Code 6362 Naval Research Lab Washington, DC 20375 USA Ph: +202-767-6002 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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