?iga Lenar?i? wrote:
> I like maxima very much - I prefer it's standard sin(x) over
> mathematica's Sin[x]. I've done some scientific work on maxima
> (combined with wxmaxima), but using maxima for solving a problem
> takes an awful lot of time. Maxima userbase would grow significantly
> if someone would make a new usable! integrated Maxima II system with
How does a larger user base help you use maxima in less time? What
kinds of problems are you trying to solve with maxima? That would be
interesting to see what kinds of problems people use maxima for.
> - a complete help system - it could be based on wxmaxima notebooks
> with executable examples. Functions need to be described in a
> consistent manner - look at Mathematica's help for inspiration. Each
> function deserves it's own page, describing what it does, the inputs
> and the outputs and a few examples.
The help system certainly could use some work. But what about people
like me who has never even seen the wxmaxima gui?
> The user spends most of the time figuring out strange maxima's quirks
> and inconsistencies, functions with strange names. Most potential
Please list the "functions with strange names".
> users don't want to deal with downloading maxima and it's gui
> wxmaxima separately. The command line maxima makes the user feel like
> it's some ancient DOS program and inherently inferior to Mathematica
> or any other CAS. Until Maxima isn't packaged into one application
> with a proper gui and proper help it won't get any use from anyone
> but the most hardcore geeks and old strange mathematical profesors.
Are you a "most hardcore geek" or "old strange mathematical profesor"?
> Implementing a proper help, gui and consistent functions with
> noncryptic names is much more inportant than implementing new
> functions for some obscure mathematical uses and fixing some special
> buggy integral. That's the truth.
Mathematical functions are obscure only to those who don't need them.
If you need them, they're not so obscure any more.
Perhaps you would enjoy getting bugs in your work with maxima? What
makes someone's buggy integral less important than your own work?
Sorry if I appear cynical, but complaining about things that *you* could
fix but don't, doesn't appeal to me.
Ray, speaking only for himself and no one else.