[Pipet Devel] updated model

[J.W. Bizzaro]

Guys:

Tom brought to my attention that we have very little background information
posted for the TULIP project.  I did have "some thoughts" on the Web site, but I
took it off before Tim and Tom joined, because it was getting a little
outdated.  I will write something new shortly to answer his questions and those
that others may have about the project.  As Tom suggested:  (1) What's done, (2)
what's decided, and (3) what's to come.

Konrad:

Tom also asked how someone might add TULIP tools that are not written in Python
or C, say Tcl.  We have of course recently discussed how tools might be added in
a CGI-like fashion using XML.  But you mentioned that you have experience mixing
various languages directly with Python--by linking them with C?  Could you
please write a paragraph for us describing how calls to various languages from
Python is done (you're the Python expert here ;-)?

Quoting Konrad:
    > No problem. I am using Fortran routines called from Python regularly.
    > The only complication is that C/Fortran linking is machine dependent,
    > which makes automatic installation difficult (but not impossible).

Tom:

We will only use Python and C for the *core* distribution of TULIP.  This is to
keep it as simple as possible.  When we say that any language can be added, we
mean it is added on top of the core.  We also want to keep the GUI consistent,
so we will only endorse the use of GTK/GNOME.  I think there are many excellent
reasons for using this widget set.  There are Python-GTK and Python-GNOME
bindings by James Henstridge, so any language that can work with Python can work
with GTK/GNOME.

Guys:

We also need a list of core TULIP tools that need to be ported to TULIP and/or
developed.  Describe some tools for me that *you* think should be in a
bioinformatics/modelling package.


Jeff
-- 
J.W. Bizzaro                  Phone: 617-552-3905
Boston College                mailto:bizzaro at bc.edu
Department of Chemistry       http://www.uml.edu/Dept/Chem/Bizzaro/
--