Re: [boost] GIL - is there interest for an image library in Boost?

From: Andy Little (andy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-06-24 08:35:13

"David Abrahams" wrote
> "Andy Little"  writes:
>
>> FWIW
>>
>> My initial reaction  is that I would not vote to accept GIL into Boost unless
>> it
>> came with a cross-platform UI.
>
> I can't imagine what a cross-platform UI has to do with an imaging
> library.  It seems like one could make the same demand of any library
> that works on something visualizable.  If we used that criterion we
> wouldn't have the Boost Graph library, or uBlas, or, heck, a smart
> pointer library either.

I strongly disagree.

An image is a very specific physical entity, in the context the word is being
used here, a Graphical image. In computing terms and AFAICS from reading the GIL
docs. An image is comprised of a grid of pixels. Within that  grid pixel(x1,y1)
is specifically either above or below or at the same level as pixel(x2,y2) and
is either to the left of or to the right of or in the same x position as
(x2,y2). That is a physical description. Similarly the colour of that pixel is a
physical thing. IOW an image is a physical entity. In the vast majority of use
the purpose of that image is to communicate directly to a human being. An image
is the physical interface for human machine interaction as is the case on a
computer monitor. Within a photographic image by means of perspective the user
will instictively imagine physical depth. etc, etc....

A graph OTOH is a mathematical abstraction far removed from any
phemomenon it is trying to represent.

A pointer is similarly an abstraction far removed from the electronic phemonena

Both Graphs and pointers are also widely computing entities with very widespread
general purpose use.

Neither Graphs or pointers need a viewer for a user to make sense of them

Imaging OTOH is a specialised area. Fact is you need a Viewer of some kind to
work with them in any meaningful way.

I am being slightly cheeky and trying to probe as to whether the Adobe guys
would also be willing to share some of their cross platform viewing technology
with boost as a companion to or part of their GIL proposal.

Imagine how impressive the GIL examples would be if the library came with a
viewer. Heck you could even use it for BGL and little memory boxes representing
pointers if you felt the need.

but, whatever...

regards
Andy Little