Thorsten Froehlich wrote:

> This still doesn't answer my question: Why?

One answer: More user friendly and less confusing through less #declaring, while
providing powerful tools for the more advanced POV user / include file author.

> Why would more OO features in the scene language improve its usability?

Mainly because it would remove the need to declare separate values and extra name
space. (And memory?)

Example:

camera{
   location <0,1,-5> + clock*<3,0,0>
   look_at 0 + clock*<5,0,0>
}

...compared to:

#declare cam_lookat = <0,1,-5> + clock*<3,0,0>;
#declare cam_move = 0 + clock*<5,0,0>;
camera{
   location cam_move
   look_at cam_lookat
}

In the first example, you can later just extract camera.location and camera.look_at
to get the values...no extra variables needed. Which code do you think looks cleaner
and more easy to use for a novice?


>
> Would it be easier to learn?

No difference, I'd say...because we're not talking about a complete change of
syntax, but an addition to the current language (think of it as extensions) that you
don't have to learn unless you want to use it (like when file I/O was added in v3.1
- it was a new function that could be used when needed - like a tool.)


> Would it be fast to parse?  Would it allow
> porting C/C++/Java programs to POV-script?

Parsing speed: no idea actually...but as Warp said: If it was parsing speed that
counted, macros would never have been introduced anyway.

Porting programs? Binary programs to an ascii POV scene file? Now it's my turn to
ask: "What?", "How?" and "Why?" :)

> In short : What are the _practical_ benefits for the scene description, the
> primary purpose of the POV scene description language?
>

In short: a more user friendly and powerful scripting language that removes the need
for separate declaration of certain values.

----------------------------------------------------
Mikael Carneholm, B.Sc.
Dep. of Computer Science and Business Administration


Personal homepage:
http://www.studenter.hb.se/~arch
E-mail:
sa9### [at] idautbhbse

Post a reply to this message