I agree to some extend - did not want to give the impression that all user need to re-code their applications for the next SAGA version. However, I am pretty sure that e.g. the language bindings will get iterated after some experience with the reference implementations, and the the scope extensions might introduce changes to the look and feel. It will be a balance act I guess... So its a good thing that the standardization of the language bindings is pretty late on our time line - it gives us time to get it right... A. Quoting [Thilo Kielmann] (Nov 23 2005):
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:21:31 +0100 From: Thilo Kielmann <kielmann@cs.vu.nl> To: saga-rg@ggf.org Subject: Re: [saga-rg] Java implementation issues
May I largely contradict Andre:
On Wed, Nov 23, 2005 at 08:48:56AM -0600, Andre Merzky wrote:
One more remark: we are pretty sure that, in one or two years from now, the SAGA spec will undergo major revisions. That includes firstly a widening of scope, but might secondly also affect lok & feel. So any reference implementation should be easily extensible in scope, and should, if possible, simple enough to change look and feel w/o the need for complete rewrite.
We can not afford major changes in the API. While scope extensions are envisioned, extensions alone must be (mostly) upward-compatible. Look and feel changes can also only affect small things.
We must take the fact into account that, in order to be useful and uptake-able by commercial parties (and even academic users), we have to provide stability of the API. Otherwise, the SAGA interface will be a toy rather than a standard.
If the message is that the API will change a lot in the future, I can only recommend people using the GAT instead. In comparison to SAGA, the GAT has stable implementations and a lot of existing adaptors. What is the value of SAGA, if not of a stable and standardized interface?
We have to get our act together, and we have to do so now. SAGA is not (supposed to be) an academic toy, it is meant for real. (So far my personal interpretation of the whole endeavour.)
Cheers,
Thilo -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ | Andre Merzky | phon: +31 - 20 - 598 - 7759 | | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) | fax : +31 - 20 - 598 - 7653 | | Dept. of Computer Science | mail: merzky@cs.vu.nl | | De Boelelaan 1083a | www: http://www.merzky.net | | 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands | | +-----------------------------------------------------------------+