On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 10:41:44PM +0100, Justin B Rye wrote: > > Description: Interactive Graphics Language Editor > > > > The short description is outdated - upstream (2) now calls it Graphics > > Layout > > Engine. > > That's better - why would I want to edit a graphics language? And > there was never an excuse for the capital I on Interactive. (Besides > which, how did it ever make sense to talk about an interactive editor? > How would a non-interactive one work?)
When I started using GLE about 20 years ago on DOS it included an editor from which you could produce a preview on the screen with one keystroke. The Unix version also included this using ncurses, but it was not really usable. I guess it was removed in the 4.0 series, and probably the package renamed at the same time? > > GLE is a high quality graphics package for scientists, > > combining a user friendly interface with a full range of > > facilities for producing publication quality graphs, > > diagrams, posters and slides. > > . > > GLE provides LaTeX quality fonts together with a flexible > > graphics module which allows the user to specify any > > feature of a graph (down to the line width of the subticks, > > for example) > > > > At first glance I didn't understand whether it uses just LaTeX > > fonts or LaTeX itself. > > I read it as just claiming to provide fonts which are as good as > LaTeX fonts are (however good that is). It was only later that I > learned that it does this by actually using LaTeX. > > So shouldn't there be some sort of package dependency on LaTeX? As far as I understand, the fonts are included (in ascii format) in gle. They seem to have been generated from TeX fonts a long time ago. If they would be generated during every package build, there should be a dependence, but I don't think they need to be generated? > > . > > Complex pictures can be drawn with user defined subroutines > > and simple looping structures. > > . > > Current device drivers support DECWINDOWS, REGIS, TEK4010, > > all PC graphics cards, VT100s, HP-Plotters, PostScript > > Printers, EPSON Printers and LaserJet Printers. > > . > > GLE runs on both VAXes and PCs, giving an identical user > > interface on both platforms. > > > > I suggest to skip the last two paragraphs or to skip the last paragraph and > > rewrite the preceding one. Talking about VAXes and VT100s could make people > > think that the software is quite dated. Obviously it is actively maintained. > > The phrase "both VAXes and PCs" was insanely dated even when this > software was first packaged for Debian in 2005. It was first packaged more than 5 years before that, but not uploaded since the copyright was unclear. In those days VAXes were still popular, collegues still use them to process data today. I wonder if they still use punchcards for the Voyagers? > > In general the formatting has the charme of man output. Thanks, thats probably where it came from. > And the attempt at non-proportional justification is doomed to failure > anyway, since http://packages.debian.org/sid/gle-graphics and other > displays shows it re-wrapped in a sans-serif font! > > > Please consider my proposol (LaTeX clarified, DEC hardware > > references removed) > > as a starting point for a new description. > > > > > > Description: Graphics Layout Engine > > GLE is a high quality graphics package for scientists, combining > > a user friendly interface with a full range of facilities for > > producing publication quality graphs, diagrams, posters and slides. > > . > > GLE uses LaTeX together with a flexible graphics module which enables > > the user to specify any feature of a graph (e.g., down to the line > > width of the subticks). > > . > > Complex pictures can be drawn with user defined subroutines and > > simple looping structures. > > . > > Current device drivers support REGIS, TEK4010, all PC graphics > > cards, HP-Plotters, PostScript Printers, EPSON Printers and > > LaserJet Printers. > > Why don't we just import the updated upstream blurb? It even conforms > to d-l-e house style on serial comma! And does not talk about devices that are probably not even supported anymore? > (It misspells "formulae", though... which was enough to tempt me into > rephrasing a few bits here and there. For instance I've reduced the > number of times it squawks its name.) > > Description: Graphics Layout Engine > GLE is a graphics scripting language designed for creating publication > quality figures such as charts, plots, graphs, and diagrams. It > supports various chart types (including function plot, histogram, bar > chart, scatter plot, contour plot, color map, and surface plot) through > a simple but flexible set of graphing commands; more complex output can > be created by relying on its scripting language, which is full featured > with subroutines, variables, and logic control. > . > GLE relies on LaTeX for text output and supports mathematical formulae > in graphs and figures. Output formats include (E)PS, PDF, JPEG, and PNG. > > Patch attached. thanks. Can this wait until wheezy is released? AFAIK we are in a freeze already. Christian -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
