Sounds like a good idea. I guess I don't understand what the module does. Do you give it a grid on which to place the data, or does it derive one?
Greg David Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>@opendx.watson.ibm.com on 01/10/2001 01:26:59 PM Please respond to [email protected] Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] cc: Subject: Re: [opendx-dev] Adding a new module to CVS? Actually, I think it fits ReGrid better than Connect. I had almost felt like suggesting that we form some kind of committee, but then I thought--I don't have time to offer and I don't want to see things bogged down in a committee anyway. I did have a new thought. What if we added a new branch in the cvs tree named vap. It would be the value-added-pack that non-beginners could get and compile with DX. We could set up a branch with just the additions that could be checked for at compile time or set it up so that the whole branch compiles all the modules as loadables (or something). That way if the user doesn't get the vap they still have the standard core. This could also be used as the testing bed and if at some point in the future everyone decides that a certain module should be moved to the core it would be quite easy. What do you say to that? I would be willing to work on the autoconf code to handle this. David >I've been watching the discussion here without commenting to try to get an >idea of the community's feeling about this. I think there's a bunch of >issues here. I think there has to be some sort of review process before >new features go in. There's a continuum between generally useful modules >and modules that solve one person's problems, and the best judge of general >utility is probably not the author. I think there's a big downside to >module proliferation. I think the set of modules ought to be kept as small >as possible so that new users are not daunted by long lists of tools they >have to wade through to find the ones they need. At the same time, I >would never claim that the current module set is sufficiently complete that >no new modules should go in. So i'm not sure how to proceed. In the old >days we had a modules committee that decided what should go in, what the >parameterization should be etc. > >I'm also concerned with documentation. While Chris is right - it was done >originally in Bookmaster - its all in html now, isn't it? So I think it >can be relatively easily editted, but I'm not sure how it can be printed. >Then there's the issue of context-sensitive help. I have no idea how that >works. In any event, I think both should be updated if new functionality >goes in - particularly new modules that are immediately visible to the >user. > >In this case, I wonder if this new functionality coudn't be added as a >different method of Connect? > >Greg > > > >David Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>@opendx.watson.ibm.com on 01/10/2001 >10:45:40 AM > >Please respond to [email protected] > >Sent by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >To: [email protected] >cc: >Subject: Re: [opendx-dev] Adding a new module to CVS? > > > >Chris, > >I had Jeff pose these questions to the group because I didn't know >the answers. I do know that if this module was included in the >distribution it is less hassle than having to teach people to compile >the single module, etc. I do have some autoconf magic that I put >together for modules but I'd rather see some modules be included (if >the author wants to donate them). > >So these are questions I have as well. > >1. If the author is pretty confident in their code but we leave new >potential modules separate for testing purposes, how do we get people >to test them if they don't want to compile them? > >2. If we do keep them separate and I provide my autoconf magic, who's >going to teach people how to set it up? > >Personally, I'd rather see this module added to the source. I was >hoping we'd hear from Greg and Peter and get their thoughts. I have >some data importers that I'd like to add to the cvs tree as well. > >By the way, there is a contribution area already at OpenDX.org. Go to >the "Addons" section. I've only had one person contribute anything >yet. > >David > >> > >>>Another question I meant to ask was: Should the module even be added to >>>CVS? I can certainly make it available through the Univ. of Montana site. >>> >> >> >>I think there's something to be said for a "Contributed > >Modules/Macros/Tips" Section" at opendx.org. However, for modules, it >would >>be advantageous if it were automatically compiled when one built opendx, I >>suppose. The only thing is whether it should be left separate until a >round >>of testing has happened, or, since you've had it for a while, are you >>pretty confident it runs on all the platforms/OSes that people are >>currently running openDX on? >> >>Chris Pelkie >>Vice President/Scientific Visualization Producer >>Conceptual Reality Presentations, Inc. >>30 West Meadow Drive >>Ithaca, NY 14850 >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >-- >............................................................................. > >David L. Thompson The University of Montana >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Computer Science Department >http://www.cs.umt.edu/u/dthompsn Missoula, MT 59812 > Work Phone : (406)257-8530 -- ............................................................................. David L. Thompson The University of Montana mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Computer Science Department http://www.cs.umt.edu/u/dthompsn Missoula, MT 59812 Work Phone : (406)257-8530
