Re: Scripts vs APIs

Linas Vepstas (linas@innerdoor.austin.ibm.com)
Wed, 7 Sep 1994 18:07:42 -0500


>From: David Cake <davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au>
>Subject: Re: Scripts vs APIs
>To: unitcirc@netcom.com (Kevin Goldsmith)
>Date: Mon, 5 Sep 94 18:42:29 WST
>
> I think that VRML should basically be a description language, and there
>should be some sort of standard API for dealing with some of the things that
>are not completely handled by the description language.
> FOr example I am thinking of a situation where the API might include
>things like create <object> or transform <object>, the actual object
>descriptions will be written in VRML, and then by either writing directly to
>the API or by using some sort of scripting language you create tools that
>create VRML objects with useful and interesting properties.

I'll resist this a little bit. Personally, I would like to be in the business
of providing these tools, i.e. charging money for providing this. You know ...
food, rent, the bills ... I can gain a competitive advantage by standardizing
on the script, and selling the tools. I think this logic applies to a lot of
people on this mailing list.

If this is un-appealing to you, I suggest getting your hands on YART/GOOD,
which is free from Ekki in Germany. Or OOGl from U Minn. and actively
contributing to the development of that. That is an API that,
in principle, could be used to read or generate VRML. I would rather
see this group limit its discussion to VRML.

BTW, the YART/GOOD API mailing list can be subscribed to be writing to
Yart@PrakInf.TU-Ilmenau.DE

--linas