Re: GSL and ALGLIB

[Sergey Bochkanov <sergey.bochkanov@alglib.net>]

Hello, Brian.

You wrote 14 апреля 2010 г., 12:58:38:

> The GPL defines source code as "the
> preferred form of the work for making modifications to it" -- which in
> this case is the underlying algorithm definitions for the converter,
> not the individual routines.  We could only consider using other code
> if all the associated software (and documentation) is free.

Yes,  translator is still non-free. I think that some day I'll make it
free,  but  it  isn't  top  priority  for  me. Just can't come to some
decision  on  this  subject,  so I am leaving this question open for a
while.  And,  actually,  ALGLIB users rarely need something beyond the
version in the language they use.


> Whether it makes sense techically to use ALGLIB in GSL, it is
> difficult for me to comment without the converter being free software
> and available to study.

95%  of  C++  sources  are  as  human-readable as original pseudocode.
Remaining  5%  are places where C++ is used to emulate continuations -
feature  lacking in many modern programming languages. However, it can
be  made  human-readable too (just one day or two to tweak translator)
if someone needs it. It wasn't deliberately obfuscated :)

Technically,  ALGLIB  can  be  linked to GSL and can be used under GPL
even without translator.

-- 
With best regards,
 Sergey                          mailto:sergey.bochkanov@alglib.net