> Nope, Python's Tkinter canvas calls into TCL/Tk directly. It doesn't run it as a separate process. There is no comparison: Another false equivalence.

Python's Tkinter converts all calls into strings which are parsed and executed by the hidden Tcl interpreter in there. It's really pretty hackish. I didn't say it ran in a separate process, I said it was probably on par performance-wise as bash calling gnuplot through a separate process.

> Can you integrate C extensions into bash with SWIG, or any other way short or recompiling?

Yuck. Why would I want to do that? I don't like SWIG or bash. SWIG generates an awful mess. When needed, I prefer to write Python extensions by hand.

However, I suspect the only reason bash doesn't support plugins/extensions has more to do with some GPL ideology.

> You keep going back to this mistaken belief that forking off separate processes is incredibly cheap. Or even convenient. You really should rid yourself of that misconception.

You should really stick to things I've actually written. I'm starting to think you're having an argument with some imaginary bash and fork advocate in your head and pretending I'm him.