[Radiance-general] Re: Python Radiance Package

[Greg Ward]

Hi Thomas,

> From: Thomas Bleicher <tbleicher at googlemail.com>
> Date: November 8, 2010 8:58:45 AM PST
> ...
> However, I can see that an additional advantage of this project
> could be that the remaining CSH scripts (and possibly Perl scripts)
> in the main Radiance distribution get finally pythonized. In that
> case should the new scripts be kept separately or should they
> find their way back into the distribution?

I think the scripts that come with the distribution have to be independent of third-party additions, especially ones that call legacy Radiance scripts back.  Otherwise, we create a dependency loop where everything has to be synchronized between separate sources for anything to work.  Such a move would require that LBNL maintain all the Python code internally, and I don't see that happening.

In general, adding functionality to Radiance through new scripts and programs is much less trouble than replacing functionality, which creates a whole host of backwards- and forwards-compatibility issues.

-Greg