[racket] Considering backward-incompatible change to Plot

From: Neil Toronto (neil.toronto at gmail.com)
Date: Tue Mar 17 13:56:52 EDT 2015

That looks like an awesome project. I could probably even use the convex 
hull implementations in Pict3D.

You could use `plot-bitmap` or `plot/dc` as well, FWIW.

I'll count this as a +1, then. :)

Neil ⊥

On 03/17/2015 01:51 PM, Spencer Florence wrote:
> I've been using plot heavily for
> https://github.com/florence/convex-hulls, which pulls a bitmap% from the
> snip% to render it as a gif. As long at the Plot object can get me a
> bitmap% or its underlying vector, I would love the new interface.
>
> or maybe I should just be using `plot-pict`...
>
> On Tue, Mar 17, 2015 at 12:35 PM Neil Toronto <neil.toronto at gmail.com
> <mailto:neil.toronto at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Plot has been converted to Typed Racket in the upcoming Racket 6.2.
>
>     I'm strongly considering taking this opportunity to improve the API. The
>     change is backward-incompatible, however, so I need input from those of
>     you who use Plot a lot.
>
>     In particular, recent experience with Pict3D makes it clear that the
>     type of the `plot` function shouldn't be this:
>
>         (-> (Treeof (U nonrenderer renderer2d)) ... (U Void (Instance
>     Snip%)))
>
>     but should be this instead:
>
>         (-> (Treeof (U nonrenderer renderer2d)) ... Plot)
>
>     where a `Plot` instance is a value that can be queried for its
>     properties (such as the legend, plot bounds, ticks, etc.) and just
>     happens to print in DrRacket as an interactive snip. The type of
>     `plot3d` would be changed to return `Plot3D` instances.
>
>     Casual uses wouldn't see any change at all.
>
>     However, functions that receive or return plots, *which also put
>     contracts on plots*, would have to change to use `plot?` instead of
>     (is-a?/c snip%), or use (require plot/snip), a new compatibility module,
>     instead of (require plot).
>
>     How many programs of yours would this change break?
>
>     Any objections? Any suggestions?
>
>     Neil ⊥
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