SPARTA(ID:5471/spa014)

Line drawing program 


Procedure oriented programming language for the manipulation of arbitrary line drawings
References:
  • Mezei, Leslie "SPARTA, a procedure oriented programming language for the manipulation of arbitrary line drawings" view details Abstract: This paper describes a programming language for the manipulation of arbitrary line drawings designed with the view of making it easy to learn and use by the graphic designer without programming experience. A large variety of commands are available to change the position, size and orientation of the picture. A number of mathematical transformations and random distortions are included, acting on the whole picture, on its curves or on the individual points. Further manipulations, combinations of existing ones and specific application procedures may be easily added by the user
          in Morrell, A. J. H. (Ed.): Information Processing 68, Proceedings of IFIP Congress 1968, Edinburgh, UK, 5-10 August 1968 view details
  • Yarbrough, L. D. Mezei 1968 view details Abstract: [ Reviewer's Note: It is acutely embarrassing for me to review this paper, for two reasons: (a) this paper is immediately followed in the Proceedings by our own, and (b) there is a family resemblance between the two and thus comparison is naturally invited. Thus, because we are thoroughly aware of the weaknesses and strengths of our own paper, we feel uniquely able -- but nonetheless acutely embarrassed -- to review this one. ]

    This paper presents a description of a family of subroutines (I object to its being dubbed a "language") used for the input, transformation, and output of graphs. There are features in profusion, some of which are useful (variable width line generator, for example) and some of highly marginal utility, which seem to have been appended willy-nilly (e.g., a star-of-David generator). I question whether the objective of use by non-programmers is well met (some of the routines require over a dozen parameters, none defaulted), but there appears to be adequate flexibility and scope for expansion. The data structure features are limited by the FORTRAN imbedding but are otherwise well-designed. And the random picture-processing features, which I fail to appreciate, can be omitted with only a few repercussions.

    In summary, a reasonable bag of tools, some of them dispensable
          in ACM Computing Reviews 9(08) August 1968 view details