[Halla12_software] another point about geometry API.

[Richard S. Holmes]

On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 1:28 PM, Thomas K Hemmick <
hemmick at skipper.physics.sunysb.edu> wrote:

> Thanks Ole, that explains A LOT of what people have not yet said.  Two
> questions:
>
>  A:  Without root, what would we use?  PAW...home grown...?
> B:  Without C++ what would we use?  FORTRAN...perl...python...?
>
>  As you might have guessed, I have operated under the presumption of a
> root/geant4 code base.  It seems to me that any other choice is more work
> for the core team than I care to think about in my worst nightmare!
>
>  1)  Does anyone among us believe that we have the capability to write
> our own root or geant4?
> 2)  Among those who believe item 1, do you think that we are wise to do
> this?
>
>  Perhaps this is first thing we should discuss.  My opinion is simple:
> root/geant4 should be the basis of SoLID software.  I'm curious to hear if
> any of us has a different opinion on this.
>

I don't think there are any advocates of not using GEANT4 for simulation,
are there?

Am I correct in understanding major portions of the Hall B framework (but
not all their software) are written in Java?

I have never learned Java, and have in the past decade or so used only C++,
Perl, and Python, so personally have a very strong preference for a C++
based framework.

As for ROOT, I certainly think we can write a simulation package that
doesn't use it. Digitization as well, I think, and probably reconstruction.
For analysis, on the other hand, I see it as essential. But as long as the
ROOT toolkit is available in the analyzer, I guess I can see that the
entire framework does not need to be built around ROOT.

But if ROOT gives us tools that will make it easier to attain our
requirements, that certainly argues strongly in its favor.


I think it's premature to advocate for any one or another framework. First
we need to get a clear picture of our requirements, and of the available
alternatives.

-- 
- Richard S. Holmes
  Physics Department
  Syracuse University
  Syracuse, NY 13244
  315-443-5977
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