Comments on: Hail the Command Line http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/ Exploring the Realms of GIS and Other Stuff Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:53:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Spatial Galaxy » Blog Archive » Wither the command line http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/comment-page-1/#comment-23125 Spatial Galaxy » Blog Archive » Wither the command line Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:30:49 +0000 http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/#comment-23125 [...] go—I was thinking about posting on this same topic just the other day, although I may be repeating myself. The efficiencies of the command line cannot be overstated. I too have seen that deer in the [...] [...] go—I was thinking about posting on this same topic just the other day, although I may be repeating myself. The efficiencies of the command line cannot be overstated. I too have seen that deer in the [...]

]]> By: mars http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/comment-page-1/#comment-70 mars Sun, 18 Jun 2006 19:55:18 +0000 http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/#comment-70 Of course the command line is more efficient, for those who can 'Write the language'. It should be realized though, that if you can 'write a picture' there 'should' be an easier way to 'draw' a picture. This is basically all we are trying to do with GIS. Attach information to pictures. The complexity of GUI should only be for the programmers who are trying to develope the interface, and not for the end user. Of course, GUI is in my blood, coming from C64,Amiga, and finally over to Mac. I dream in pictures, not code Of course the command line is more efficient, for those who can ‘Write the language’.

It should be realized though, that if you can ‘write a picture’ there ’should’ be an easier way to ‘draw’ a picture.

This is basically all we are trying to do with GIS. Attach information to pictures.

The complexity of GUI should only be for the programmers who are trying to develope the interface, and not for the end user.

Of course, GUI is in my blood, coming from
C64,Amiga, and finally over to Mac.

I dream in pictures, not code

]]> By: bertelli http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/comment-page-1/#comment-12 bertelli Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:12:48 +0000 http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/#comment-12 Two places where command line would be very useful in QGis (and other OS Gis projects): * managing spatial queries. I'm still missing the "MapBasic Window" in MapInfo and a simple SQL syntax to express spatial operations; * managing import/export. OGR -- to cite a specific software -- has options to deal with several different import problems. Unfortunately GUI "Open File" and "Import" dialogs show (and handle) only defaults. In QGis this is very frequently wrong, expecially since Frank Warmerdam choose a strict interpretation of formats (expecially DGNs and Shapefiles). Anyway, GUI alone is a good approach but "hides the engine" when the user asks for a more focused action (in this case, hiding obscure options in deep menu structure is a problem, not a solution), CLI alone causes steep learning curve. Just show the output of menu commands for CLI users (or future users) and implement useful commands in the GUI. Good interface design is just deciding where to put rarely used commands without burying them or dropping them out. Cheers and thank you. Carlo Two places where command line would be very useful in QGis (and other OS Gis projects):
* managing spatial queries. I’m still missing the “MapBasic Window” in MapInfo and a simple SQL syntax to express spatial operations;
* managing import/export. OGR — to cite a specific software — has options to deal with several different import problems. Unfortunately GUI “Open File” and “Import” dialogs show (and handle) only defaults. In QGis this is very frequently wrong, expecially since Frank Warmerdam choose a strict interpretation of formats (expecially DGNs and Shapefiles).
Anyway, GUI alone is a good approach but “hides the engine” when the user asks for a more focused action (in this case, hiding obscure options in deep menu structure is a problem, not a solution), CLI alone causes steep learning curve. Just show the output of menu commands for CLI users (or future users) and implement useful commands in the GUI. Good interface design is just deciding where to put rarely used commands without burying them or dropping them out.

Cheers and thank you.
Carlo

]]> By: Matt Perry http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Matt Perry Fri, 24 Feb 2006 17:07:02 +0000 http://spatialgalaxy.net/2006/02/24/hail-the-command-line/#comment-11 Excellent point! I think GUIs are a great way to explore a process, do a quick and easy job and to learn the basics but it just doesn't scale well. Doing something once or twice in a GUI works fine but if you've got to do it more than a few times, you almost always benefit from writing a script. To be fair to the commercial GIS world, ESRI at least has the model builder which allows you to string together various tools in a visual flowchart style and parametrize them. You can even output the model to a python script. But all in all, its a shame that ESRI has put their ArcInfo Workstation CLI on the back shelf for so long. Maybe I'm biased since I learned GIS at the ArcInfo command line but it is still more powerful and stable than anything in their ArcGIS GUI line of products.. yet some people don't even know it's there! Excellent point! I think GUIs are a great way to explore a process, do a quick and easy job and to learn the basics but it just doesn’t scale well. Doing something once or twice in a GUI works fine but if you’ve got to do it more than a few times, you almost always benefit from writing a script.

To be fair to the commercial GIS world, ESRI at least has the model builder which allows you to string together various tools in a visual flowchart style and parametrize them. You can even output the model to a python script. But all in all, its a shame that ESRI has put their ArcInfo Workstation CLI on the back shelf for so long. Maybe I’m biased since I learned GIS at the ArcInfo command line but it is still more powerful and stable than anything in their ArcGIS GUI line of products.. yet some people don’t even know it’s there!

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