Re: [boost] geometry classes and computational geometry

From: Jeremy Siek (jsiek_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-11-21 11:54:56

As a whole, I think the design of CGAL is quite nice. Some of the ideas
like circulators seem like they would be usefull. However, there are two
problems. First, as Danny said, the license is restrictive, which is a bit
of a show-stopper. Second, CGAL is based on the LEDA graph library which
has several disadvantages: 1) LEDA is not generic like the BGL and
therefore graph data-structures can not be interchanged and 2) parts of
LEDA are much less efficient than the BGL. Therefore, I think 
it would still be very valuable to have a boost geometry library,
and I think some design ideas from CGAL can be borrowed.

Cheers,

Jeremy

On Tue, 21 Nov 2000, Mark D Rintoul wrote:

> Gregory Seidman wrote:
> > 
> > Mark D Rintoul sez:
> > }       It is a good package, and from what I understand, has a lot
> > } of work put into it.  But it is basically part of a business now (as
> > } far as I understand it), and there are some basic things that would
> > } be nice to have unrestricted usage for.
> > 
> > It looks like the most recent versions are restricted, but a somewhat older
> > version (v1.2) is freely licensed (commercial and other uses). This may be
> > a reasonable starting point for boost.
> > 
> > }                       Danny
> > --Greg
> 
> 	Well, even 1.2 states that it cannot be used as a component of
> a commercial product.  I don't usually follow license restriction 
> discussions too closely here, but I think that would infringe on the
> boost
> requirement that it 
> 
> 	Must grant permission to copy, use and modify the software for any
> use 		(commercial and non-commercial) for no fee.
> 
> (see the Library Requirements and Guidelines page).
> 
> 		Danny
> 
> -- 
> ------------------
> Mark D. (Danny) Rintoul, Dept. 9235
> Computational Biology & Materials Technology
> Sandia National Laboratories
> Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
> email: rintoul_at_[hidden]
> ------------------
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

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 Jeremy Siek                        www: http://www.lsc.nd.edu/~jsiek/
 Ph.D. Candidate                  email: jsiek_at_[hidden]
 Univ. of Notre Dame         work phone: [phone]
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