[Ifeffit] Ifeffit development tools?

[Webb, Adam]

Greetings,

> I do think an ifeffit-dev list and/or wiki area is a fine
> idea.  I don't know how many others would be interested in
> this, but it might allow for more open development, and keep
> the ifeffit mailing list more for usage questions.  Any
> other opinions on this?
> 

I second the idea. A -dev list would also help avoid confusion. I can 
see that people might get really confused if one set of people are 
talking about some software in development and other people are talking 
about the program that people are using.

> Mauro Rovezzi  wrote:
> 
>> For these reasons I would like to know your point of view
>> on the idea to find a standard in the creation of Ifeffit
>> applications in order to permit the interested community
>> to contribute/share in the programming effort.
>> Practically speaking, if someone would like to implement a
>> new functionality based on the Ifeffit library which
>> directives should follow to integrate the existing
>> applications?
> 

I think that there are several possibilities but I think it would best 
to look at where the codebase is going. The development of tdl and 
demeter look like good solutions. The question is how can other people 
connect into these things.
For example, a plugin like structure might be used. Someone adding a new 
function could for example write a plugin to do something like:
	1. ask ifeffit for data and other needed information
	2. do some tranform/filter/magic on data
	3. return data to ifeffit
Other people could use plugin by calling it from within ifeffit. You can 
do this now with the wrappers but it appears to me that this might be 
easier to do with tdl and/or demeter as these things seem better 
designed to do just that. Perhaps Matt or Bruce would like to comment 
further.

Or people could work more directly with tdl and demeter. In the end I 
think that a modular approach would be best. It could be called the 
XAFS-toolbox or something. ;-)

> 
> Well, now that question (TDL??  Are you nuts??) is a fine
> and fair question, and one I've been asked before and in
> fact ask myself on a regular basis.
> 

I also kind of wondered as I am am normally sceptical of creating a new 
language. However, one advantage of creating a mini language is that you 
can tailor it to the specific application. This way you can get the 
language to 'do what I mean' in a given situation.

Cheers,

Adam


-- 
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Dr. M. Adam Webb
HASYLAB at DESY
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D-22607 Hamburg
Germany

Phone: +49 40 8998-1994, Fax: +49 40 8998-2787
E-mail:  adam.webb at desy.de
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