[R-gui] Re: [R] Feedback about SciViews?

[Frank E Harrell Jr]

On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 08:28:31 -0400
Duncan Murdoch <dmurdoch at pair.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 07:55:40 -0400, you wrote:
> 
> >I think that platform independence is extremely important.  You did not say otherwise, but I was hoping you would stress that point.  -Frank Harrell
> 
> I don't know if I agree with you or not.  I think it's extremely
> important at the level of computations that don't involve the user
> interface.  If you're doing a statistical computation, your functions
> and scripts and packages should work on every platform.
> 
> However, I think it's a hindrance to progress if platform independence
> is enforced in the user interface.  
> 
> Different platforms support different user interface elements.  If we
> aim for platform independence in the user interface, then we will
> necessarily be limited in what can be done there.  For a simple
> example, the use of the mouse for copying and pasting varies from
> system to system.  I think it's obvious that we should not impose
> common rules on the use of the mouse (how do you copy, paste, etc.)  
> 
> There needs to be a level of abstraction (e.g. all platforms should
> support copy & paste, but in their native way), but there also needs
> to be the possibility of using features that are available on one
> platform that aren't on others.  If they turn out to be good, then
> someone will write them for the other platform.  If they turn out to
> be bad, then we'll find that out without wasting all the time of
> writing them portably.
> 
> For example, right now ESS does things that aren't available to people
> not using Emacs, e.g. Rgui users.  This is good:  it encourages people
> to find ways to do those things, either by adopting Emacs, or by
> putting them into Rgui, or by writing a new front end like Philippe is
> doing.  If Philippe invents something that looks useful (and from his
> presentation in Vienna, I think he is doing that), then a similar
> propagation will happen.
> 
> Duncan Murdoch
> 

Thanks for your note Duncan.  I think that to the extent possible it is good to keep enhancing generic cross-platform tools to accomplish these goals.  One ulterior motive I have is for people to be able to jump from Micro$oft to Linux easily.  A more noble goal is that I encounter great difficulty as a teacher when different students use different looking GUIs.

Regards,

Frank


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---
Frank E Harrell Jr              Prof. of Biostatistics & Statistics
Div. of Biostatistics & Epidem. Dept. of Health Evaluation Sciences
U. Virginia School of Medicine  http://hesweb1.med.virginia.edu/biostat