Message from Mark re: C++

[Alfredo Luis Mateus <almateus@globalsite.com.br>]

Mark, please check what e-mail you subscribed to the list, you have to
post from that e-mail, otherwise it bounces to me.

Alf

p.s. I think that the FFDG can grow to discuss any kind of plugin coding
techniques, the advantages of each one, code sharing, etc. So, please,
don't be shy or think that you have to be strictly "on the topic" here.

===============

From: mark <mark@spidersys.com>
Subject: C++

I'm glad to see that the issue of programming plug-ins in C++ has
started to show up in the FF discussion group. I've been learning to
program plug-ins for the last several months, and yes, there is very
little information on the web. To a certain degree, I think that the
lack of information is because of the money at stake, and because of the
relatively steep learning curve involved in programming plug-ins.

However, I don't think it's all because of money: I think it's mostly
because no one has ever put together a message board for sharing code
snippets. (A primer would be great, too.) The FF discussion group could
be a great place to share C++ code.  (Look, we're already starting to
see code written for Filter Formula and Filter Meister...why not also
share C++ code?)

There would be so many advantages to this for everyone in the group. For
one thing, while it requires some extra tools (CodeWarrior, Borland,
etc.), you can do so much more writing in C than you can in FF,
FilterFormula or FilterMeister. You can implement your functions any way
you want. You can have complete security for your code. You can hook
your filters into the cool new automation routines in Photoshop 5. You
can be fully portable. (In my opinion, while I love the idea of Filter
Formula, a huge oversite is that it doesn't run on a Mac.....I don't
want to get into a Mac/PC argument here, but you can't forget the Mac
side if you want to be taken seriously in graphics. Don't believe me:
check out the Adobe SDK. Everything is written for a Mac first, and
then  snippets are added to adapt code to a PC. In addition, the limited
information you can find about programming filters generally comes out
of the Mac side. Check out the April and May(?)  issues of MacTech
magazine for a rather scholarly discussion of plug-in code development.
Also check out Joe Zobkiw's book "A Fragment of Your Imagination"
which...although it's getting a little dated... devotes a full chapter
to Photoshop plug-ins.)

With all the talent apparent in this group, it's amazing to me that no
one has ever put together an open source C++ implementation for at least
a few simple plug-ins. (Believe me, it's not that hard to do this kind
of programming, especially considering the level of expertise seen in
this group.) I would also like to mention that you don't have to join
the Adobe Developers Association to do this kind of programming. (The
advantages of joining are more for commercial developers: the ADA
doesn't give you any real additional information, but they will offer
"limited" technical support if you join.) (Emphasis on "limited.")

One last thing: the world needs more open source code. Take the GIMP,
for example. You can download the filters. And in most cases--because
these people are cool--you can also download the source code. This seems
to me to be one of the greatest things on the web. Check your egos at
the door: let's start posting source code.

Good Luck,
Mark