Unknown <spa### [at] morepsamorg> wrote:
> On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:38:48 -0400, Bruno Cabasson wrote:
>
> >
> > I had one thought: why not compile SDL into Java code, with runtime
> > classes and shipped-in POV4 stuff (like we have now with POV), and
>
> Sure, let's throw in some fortran and AP and basic just for
> completeness.  let's make povray 4 overcomplicated and
> overlarge.  Let's do it!

Absolutely not! I don't think that, with Java as intermediate language, the
development of POV4 would be that complicated. Perhaps on the contrary:
writing a parser would be quite easy, as well as the related code
generator! However, POV4 will have enhanced features, will have more
completeness, and therefore its developement might imply a little
complexity. So what? It makes no problem to me. We can envision more
complexity in POV4's developement process, whatever solution we implement,
provided we keep it not too voluminous AND easy to use.

Java as an intermediate language was just an idea that came to me because it
has interesting features, well mastered, available, perenial, etc ...

What is important now is to define the new syntax and focus on it: what
features for POV4, and how to express them with the syntax? That's what I
am trying to do, and submit actual fragments of code. Everybody wants
something new, but only a few proposed something significant. (BTW: waiting
for criticisms ...)


Bruno

PS#1: Concerning FORTRAN: Not suitable to write the parser/compiler, of
course! BUT:
Many people are demanding 'more speed, more speed'. I can assure you that
Fortran is still the best solution for computational efficiency in
number-crunching applications. Since Fortran90, the language is very easy
to code, benefits of the best scientific libraries ever and it has a
vectorised nature which matches that of a renderer, and the compilers are
f... optimized and processor-efficient. I can assure you that Fortran is
still a major language in the industry and in labs. Disregarding it would
be a mistake in some cases. It is quite specialized, but isn't it a good
thing for our purpose? Fortran can be considered for the core part of
renderer. The renderer could be designed with a vectorized nature:
ray-tracing is, obviously to me, very SIMD. What language would allow to
match that better?


PS#2: I prefer contructiveness to sarcasms. Btw, were you ever involved in
large projects, involving tens and tens of people, 300000+ lines of code
and all what that implies? The development aspects of POV4 should not be
neglected, or it might get lost in a dead end if we don't pay attention to
that.

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