Hi Lue

 I didn't expect to raise so many swords suggesting JS as a macro language
for Moray plugin.

What I suggest, following the excellent idea by Twyst, is to have a plugin
(written in C/C++ as present plugins, by a talented programmer) able to read
a script file (1 script file = 1 plugin in written by anyone knowing the
scripting language and not necessarily C/C++, and anyway it saves a compiler
:-)) and then, based on the script file infos :

1) create and open a dialog box to input the needed values
2) tell Moray how to draw the wireframe, according to these values
3) tell PovRay how to ray-trace (means create the pov ray object)
4) tell Moray how to initialize, load, read, copy ...

What we need is a scripting language able to
1)   describe a dialog box and its content,
2)   know what is a variable (if possible structured one)
3)   do much math (plugins need that)
4)   and many other things

And what is to be noted is that we need first to define a syntax (as
complete as possible) for this scripting language before programming the
analyser so we have two solutions

1) use the syntax of a scripting language able to do most of the things we
need (and we don't need to implement all of it), and the happy fews knowing
the inspiring language will have a short learning curve)
2) re invent the wheel (an so every body will have to learn a new language)

The end of the story is : The talented programmer that will create the
scripting plugin will certainly have the right to choose


Sorry for my loosy english, I'm afraid most of the confusion comes from my
difficulties mastering this language (which has the advantage to exist :-)))


Philippe



>I've been following this thread for a while and have a question for
Philippe
>Are you suggesting using JS for the macros (afterall, it would be basically
>a macro plugin)? While JS has the "advantage" of existing, there it
wouldn't
>be an ideal language for this specific application. Twyst's original idea
>for the macros was a lot simpler and easier to understand for the
>"non-programmer". I grew up in the age of COBOL, BASIC, and LOGO.. they had
>a certian simplicity that today's languages lack (including JS)
>On the upside, it would be a novel non-web based use for what's basically a
>web script.
> Lue Ebra
>url /say $chan www.triangle.quik.com/lueebra
>Ph Gibone wrote in message <36ee18f6.0@news.povray.org>...
>>>But we shouldn't kid ourselves: It will not work for non-programmers,
>>>because it will still be a programming language.
>>
>>That's exactly what I mean, so why not take advantage of an existing one ?
>>
>>Philippe
>>
>>
>
>

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