OS wars

[Prof Abimbola Olowofoyeku (The African Chief)]

On Sat, 2010-07-31 at 13:40 -0400, Kevan Hashemi wrote:
> Dear Chief,
> 
> > I generally try to make available to others units (with sources) that I
> > have benefited from 
> 
> Well, I'm glad to do that, but I have not written to the list 
> advertizing my libraries because I figure that would be close to 
> bragging about my code.

I doubt it. It is simply contributing the results of one's efforts to
the world. The world may or may not need it, or want it - but it can't
make that choice if it doesn't have the offer in the first place! And -
one man's "bragging" is another man's life-saver.

> So, all are welcome to my utility library, which provides matrix 
> inversion using GPC's dynamic schema types, simplex fitting, and a bunch 
> of other stuff.
> 
> http://alignment.hep.brandeis.edu/Software/Sources/utils.pas
[...]

Looks very useful, thanks. My suggestion is (at some point in time) to
develop a repository of GPC units. BP used to have the SWAG archives,
and there are all sorts of Delphi code repositories.

> The only documentation is in the comments, so there's another problem: 
> when I tell people they can use my code, I have to tell them how to use 
> it also, or else my offer is rather empty.

All that is needed is a few example programs that show what could be
done with some of the routines - e.g., the "highlights" (and, of course,
how to do it). People can have a look at the examples, and then start to
modify them to see whether the code can help them. I have personally
found example programs (starting with the very basic, to intermediate,
to complex) very useful when I have come across source code for units.

-- 

Best regards,
The Chief