34

A single app or suite of apps to replace

• Maple
• Mathcad
• etc.

For this, there should probably be a fund raising phase to create a pool which would go towards paying contractor to at least build the initial code base, which would ideally include a plugin system for Ruby and Python extensions.

These are real huge, complex and sophisticated programs with several years of development, and at least there are some computer algebra systems, like maxima or some free programs similar to Mathlab, Matchcad ... like Scilab, Octave, ...

So I'ld think it would be a much more reasonable approach to write a well integrated KDE GUI for these already existing applications than to start another project that will need years to get useable, if at all.

I definitely think this is important, but I agree with furanku's idea that it should be a front-end rather than an entirely new application. A one-stop plugin-based GUI for a variety of scientific and mathematical applications would be great.

Python also has a bunch of mathematics plugins that it would be nice to have a GUI for.

furanku wrote:These are real huge, complex and sophisticated programs with several years of development, and at least there are some computer algebra systems, like maxima or some free programs similar to Mathlab, Matchcad ... like Scilab, Octave, ...

So I'ld think it would be a much more reasonable approach to write a well integrated KDE GUI for these already existing applications than to start another project that will need years to get useable, if at all.

I think that is more of an implementation detail. I wasn't arguing implementation.

All I am saying is that we need once, and I am strongly suggesting that we have a well published fund raiser to pay for it.

Which backends should be used?
-maxima
-symbolic c++
-octave
-yacas
-scilab
I am not experiened with octave and scilab, I can't say anything.
yacas is simply bad.
symbolic c++ would be easy to integrate an maxima is also quite powerfull.
I think there would be three tasks:
-Creating a GUI-Frontend
-Combining the backends with KDEs/Qts Object-System
-Creating a bridge to Kross
The third feature is also important: Many people would profit, when they could combine their favourite scripting-language (Python, Javascript, Ruby, QtScript, maybe others, there could be Scheme-bindings in future ore anything else) with the features of such a Computer Algebra System.
I would first implement the second and the third tasks so that the GUI would have a good base-system. (Of course there should be a very experimental testing-gui)

The User

The User wrote:Which backends should be used?

I am not sure, I only have experience with MathCad, etc on Windows, and wish there was an OSS version one based on Qt/KDE, and that probably there are others like me who would donate towards such an endeavor.

The User wrote:Creating a bridge to Kross

Agreed, once there is a solid base, I believe the community will come out in droves to finish the jobs with extensions/plugins.

Some plans:
KMath::Backend:
-Providing a list of the functions etc.
-Classes redirect calls to the functions of the Backend
-implementations like maxima, symbolic c++, kalgebra, Octave, scilab...
KMath::VisualBackend
-Managing visual mathematical stuff
-maxima, GNUPlot, Octave, scilab...
KMath::NativeScript
-Kross bindings for the native scripting-language of the backends
KMath::CoreMath
-Enabling loading/unloading of backends
KMath::VisualMath
-Displayfunctions for VisualBackend
KMath::ScriptMath
-Linking of CoreMath and VisualMath with Kross
KMath::GUI
-Calling ScriptMath
-Using Display-Routines for Graphs etc.

Just ideas!

C++-Applications could use CoreMath. Additional Kross-Plugins would work, e.g. Scheme (Guile).

The User

FYI I'm currently Hacking on something like this. It's not pretty advanced yet, but i hope i will get it far enough to fit my needs and replace Maple. It has a plugin infrastructure for different Backends, but currently only one for Sage (http://sagemath.org) is implemented. If theres interest I may upload it to playground or something.
Screenshot of its current state:

Looks nice.
Which programming-language is used? C++ or Python?

I have forgotten to mention Eigen...

It's c++ using Qt and KDELibs. using Eigen for these kind of stuff would be quite hard, as it isn't an Interpreted language, and instead needs to be compiled into an executable and then run

C++

I have meaned that Eigen is a possible backend.
I think this math-project should be able to link everything with everythin.
Backends with Kross. Backends with C++. C++-libs with Kross. GUI with backend. Kross with GUI...
That would be definitely great.

Please make the code available at playground.

I'm surprised no one mentioned that there already is QtOctave (Which is a Qt4 frontend for Octave)

arieder wrote:FYI I'm currently Hacking on something like this. It's not pretty advanced yet, but i hope i will get it far enough to fit my needs and replace Maple. It has a plugin infrastructure for different Backends, but currently only one for Sage (http://sagemath.org) is implemented. If theres interest I may upload it to playground or something.

I have interest...

@Alec
Does it use moc? Do you think it would be integratable into Kross?

This sage thing looks really cool.

I also tried a few octave front-ends. My conclusion: If you want to have a well integrated KDE front-end for octave fire up Kate and start octave in the konsole.