Re: Bug#685822: Please rewrite package description
On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 10:41:44PM +0100, Justin B Rye wrote:
> > Description: Interactive Graphics Language Editor
> >
> > The short description is outdated - upstream (2) now calls it Graphics Layout
> > Engine.
>
> That's better - why would I want to edit a graphics language? And
> there was never an excuse for the capital I on Interactive. (Besides
> which, how did it ever make sense to talk about an interactive editor?
> How would a non-interactive one work?)
When I started using GLE about 20 years ago on DOS it included an editor
from which you could produce a preview on the screen with one keystroke.
The Unix version also included this using ncurses, but it was not really
usable. I guess it was removed in the 4.0 series, and probably the package
renamed at the same time?
> > GLE is a high quality graphics package for scientists,
> > combining a user friendly interface with a full range of
> > facilities for producing publication quality graphs,
> > diagrams, posters and slides.
> > .
> > GLE provides LaTeX quality fonts together with a flexible
> > graphics module which allows the user to specify any
> > feature of a graph (down to the line width of the subticks,
> > for example)
> >
> > At first glance I didn't understand whether it uses just LaTeX
> > fonts or LaTeX itself.
>
> I read it as just claiming to provide fonts which are as good as
> LaTeX fonts are (however good that is). It was only later that I
> learned that it does this by actually using LaTeX.
>
> So shouldn't there be some sort of package dependency on LaTeX?
As far as I understand, the fonts are included (in ascii format) in gle.
They seem to have been generated from TeX fonts a long time ago. If they
would be generated during every package build, there should be a dependence,
but I don't think they need to be generated?
> > .
> > Complex pictures can be drawn with user defined subroutines
> > and simple looping structures.
> > .
> > Current device drivers support DECWINDOWS, REGIS, TEK4010,
> > all PC graphics cards, VT100s, HP-Plotters, PostScript
> > Printers, EPSON Printers and LaserJet Printers.
> > .
> > GLE runs on both VAXes and PCs, giving an identical user
> > interface on both platforms.
> >
> > I suggest to skip the last two paragraphs or to skip the last paragraph and
> > rewrite the preceding one. Talking about VAXes and VT100s could make people
> > think that the software is quite dated. Obviously it is actively maintained.
>
> The phrase "both VAXes and PCs" was insanely dated even when this
> software was first packaged for Debian in 2005.
It was first packaged more than 5 years before that, but not uploaded since
the copyright was unclear. In those days VAXes were still popular,
collegues still use them to process data today. I wonder if they still use
punchcards for the Voyagers?
> > In general the formatting has the charme of man output.
Thanks, thats probably where it came from.
> And the attempt at non-proportional justification is doomed to failure
> anyway, since http://packages.debian.org/sid/gle-graphics and other
> displays shows it re-wrapped in a sans-serif font!
>
> > Please consider my proposol (LaTeX clarified, DEC hardware
> > references removed)
> > as a starting point for a new description.
> >
> >
> > Description: Graphics Layout Engine
> > GLE is a high quality graphics package for scientists, combining
> > a user friendly interface with a full range of facilities for
> > producing publication quality graphs, diagrams, posters and slides.
> > .
> > GLE uses LaTeX together with a flexible graphics module which enables
> > the user to specify any feature of a graph (e.g., down to the line
> > width of the subticks).
> > .
> > Complex pictures can be drawn with user defined subroutines and
> > simple looping structures.
> > .
> > Current device drivers support REGIS, TEK4010, all PC graphics
> > cards, HP-Plotters, PostScript Printers, EPSON Printers and
> > LaserJet Printers.
>
> Why don't we just import the updated upstream blurb? It even conforms
> to d-l-e house style on serial comma!
And does not talk about devices that are probably not even supported
anymore?
> (It misspells "formulae", though... which was enough to tempt me into
> rephrasing a few bits here and there. For instance I've reduced the
> number of times it squawks its name.)
>
> Description: Graphics Layout Engine
> GLE is a graphics scripting language designed for creating publication
> quality figures such as charts, plots, graphs, and diagrams. It
> supports various chart types (including function plot, histogram, bar
> chart, scatter plot, contour plot, color map, and surface plot) through
> a simple but flexible set of graphing commands; more complex output can
> be created by relying on its scripting language, which is full featured
> with subroutines, variables, and logic control.
> .
> GLE relies on LaTeX for text output and supports mathematical formulae
> in graphs and figures. Output formats include (E)PS, PDF, JPEG, and PNG.
>
> Patch attached.
thanks. Can this wait until wheezy is released? AFAIK we are in a freeze
already.
Christian
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