Re: Response to ROOT criticism?

cstrato <cstrato_at_aon.at> writes:

> 1. Reinvention:
> Please answer me the following questions?
> a, Why do you reinvent CEDAR? Use ROOT instead!
> b, Why did Kemeny&Kurtz reinvent BASIC? There was already FORTRAN!
> c, Why did Kernighan&Ritchie reinvent C? There was already PASCAL?
> d, Why did J.Chambers reinvent S? There was already SAS!

Many of ROOT's reinventions are not improvements to what they copy. Furthermore, reinventing puts more support, development and documentation burden on the ROOT team and its community.

> 2. Global State:
> It seems that for guys like you McDonalds needed to write on its
> coffee cups: "Warning: Coffee is hot! Do not drink while driving!"
> Analogously, the ROOT developers should write: "Warning: Do not
> create large trees w/o creating a TFile!"

He isn't criticising the need to create a TFile. He is criticizing the need to know how ROOT works behind the scenes to use its interface. Specifically, the "magic" association between TFile and TTree that goes on behind the scenes.

It is rather unfortunate that Andy's valid criticisms aren't being used for their intended purpose: to ultimately improve ROOT.

-Brett. Received on Thu Aug 03 2006 - 20:07:59 MEST