Re: Top 10 IDL Requests

[Paul van Delst <pvandelst(at)ncep.noaa.gov>]

Craig Markwardt wrote:
> 
> "Liam E. Gumley" <Liam.Gumley@ssec.wisc.edu> writes:
> >
> > Well now is the time to ask for this feature in WHERE (while IDL 5.4 is
> > still in Beta). Perhaps a COMPLEMENT keyword could be added: I'm not
> > that fond of optional arguments.
> >
> > I suggest that anybody who wants this feature send email to RSI
> > (mailto:support@rsinc.com) with the subject 'Feature Request' asking for
> > this functionality to be added to WHERE.
> 
> Umm, where have you *been* the last two weeks?  We've been discussing
> our favorite wish list items, which David then volunteered to forward
> to the droids at RSI.  David might be overwhelmed by now, but the
> point of the discussion was indeed to provide feedback to the IDL
> people about what users want.

Last I heard Liam was in Hawai'i! Or Scotland. Or just working at his
desk. Which one is it I wonder? :o)

I appreciate David's efforts on the IDL User Community's behalf to
forward (some of) the requests for improvements/enhancments/etc of IDL
to RSI. At the same time, however, I would like an alternative forum for
submitting requests/thoughts to RSI. I wasn't aware that the support
email address at RSI could be used for that purpose. I think this
"top-ten" list request from users is way overdue - RSI should be
(actively) seeking our input. Maybe they do from a select few
experienced IDL programmers (the board of directors of the Expert
Programmers Club? :o)

In addition to the usual "how to create postscript" posts, I have been
reading about a complement to the WHERE function in this newsgroups for
years. Where is it?  In this respect and others I can understand the
attitude of a friend of mine (who wisely spread his eggs in different
baskets and hasn't invested a crap-load of time writing IDL code) who
recently commented:

"RSI have turned a blind eye to these very obvious 
ideas, and it's led me to believe that RSI find the underlying IDL code 
nearly unmaintainable.  You just have to look at their changelogs with 
each new release to know they aren't tackling the core issues."

It won't make me stop using IDL, but I find it hard to counter his
argument when he can do in Python pretty much everything I can in IDL.

Sigh.

paulv

p.s. My friend (who was raised thinking OOP - he's a young 'un) doesn't
care too much for the way objects were implemented in IDL either. Damn
whippersnapper.
-- 
Paul van Delst           Ph:  (301) 763-8000 x7274
CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP        Fax: (301) 763-8545
Rm.202, 5200 Auth Rd.    Email: pvandelst@ncep.noaa.gov
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