LibTiff Mailing List

> >On another subject, there was some talk earlier about rewriting
> >the tiff library in C++.  Any progress on this?  Want any help ?
> 
> This is a REALLY bad idea in my opinion.
> It works fine now in C. 
> What is wrong now that a C++ library will fix?
> 
> I have lot's of existing code to support that is all in C and uses 
> the TIFF library.  I do not want to be forced into a whole new set 
> of tools on the eight different platforms I have to support.
> 
> If you want to write tools in C++ that layer on top of a C library, fine.
> If you want to write a C++ class library that provides an object
> oriented interface to the library, fine.
> But save me a lot of heartburn and leave the basic library in C.

Hear hear!  For what it's worth, it'll be a cold day in hell before XV uses
any C++ code, libraries, or what have you.  Not because I have a religious 
objection to C++, but simply because:
  A) there's no overriding reason to *do* it.  Yes, perhaps it would be neat,
     and perhaps if one were to start from scratch today, you'd write in C++,
     but it's already in C, and it works, so why break it.

  B) portability.  *Everybody* has a C compiler (yeah, I know about Solaris...)
     and generally every computer installation has, or can find, someone who
     can understand and fix C programs that don't want to compile.  This
     cannot be said for C++, not even a bit.  Also, I'd say most folks out
     there do not have a C++ compiler.  Maybe they could get g++, but then
     again, maybe they can't.  A large number (possibly the majority) of the
     folks I deal with compile XV with the vendor-supplied C compiler, not gcc.
     Asking folks to try to install gcc, g++, libg++, and whatever else they 
     might need (a *non-trivial* exercise, even if you know what you're doing),
     is an awful lot to ask, just to compile a file i/o library, (or even a
     marginally-spiffy image viewer :-).

--John Bradley


AWARE [SYSTEMS]		Imaging expertise for the Delphi developer
		TIFF and LibTiff Mailing List Archive
	LibTiff Mailing List TIFF and LibTiff Mailing List Archive October 1994 Previous Thread Next Thread Previous by Thread Next by Thread Previous by Date Next by Date Contact The TIFF Mailing List Homepage This list is run by Frank Warmerdam Archive maintained by AWare Systems	Thread 1994.10.21 15:50 "Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by Ben Griffin 1994.10.21 17:12 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by Dan Mccoy 1994.10.21 18:53 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by John Bradley 1994.10.21 18:32 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by Richard Minner 1994.10.21 19:13 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by Sam Leffler 1994.10.21 19:16 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by Sam Leffler 1994.10.21 18:53 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by John Bradley > >On another subject, there was some talk earlier about rewriting > >the tiff library in C++. Any progress on this? Want any help ? > > This is a REALLY bad idea in my opinion. > It works fine now in C. > What is wrong now that a C++ library will fix? > > I have lot's of existing code to support that is all in C and uses > the TIFF library. I do not want to be forced into a whole new set > of tools on the eight different platforms I have to support. > > If you want to write tools in C++ that layer on top of a C library, fine. > If you want to write a C++ class library that provides an object > oriented interface to the library, fine. > But save me a lot of heartburn and leave the basic library in C. Hear hear! For what it's worth, it'll be a cold day in hell before XV uses any C++ code, libraries, or what have you. Not because I have a religious objection to C++, but simply because: A) there's no overriding reason to do it. Yes, perhaps it would be neat, and perhaps if one were to start from scratch today, you'd write in C++, but it's already in C, and it works, so why break it. B) portability. Everybody has a C compiler (yeah, I know about Solaris...) and generally every computer installation has, or can find, someone who can understand and fix C programs that don't want to compile. This cannot be said for C++, not even a bit. Also, I'd say most folks out there do not have a C++ compiler. Maybe they could get g++, but then again, maybe they can't. A large number (possibly the majority) of the folks I deal with compile XV with the vendor-supplied C compiler, not gcc. Asking folks to try to install gcc, g++, libg++, and whatever else they might need (a non-trivial exercise, even if you know what you're doing), is an awful lot to ask, just to compile a file i/o library, (or even a marginally-spiffy image viewer :-). --John Bradley

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1994.10.21 18:53 "Re: Problems catching write errors in tiff library (v3.3beta021)", by John Bradley