Re: [Planner Dev] Resource feedback

[Kurt Maute <kurt maute us>]

On Thu, 2006-04-20 at 03:30 +0200, Lincoln Phipps wrote: 
> 
> Kurt Maute wrote:
>   You need to:
> >   ./autogen.sh  --enable-simple-priority-scheduling
> > to enable the feature.
> > 
> 
> 
> Kurt,
> 	I was wondering about this use of compile-time
> options. If one instance of Planner uses the simple-priority-scheduling
> and another doesn't then the same project file would be
> displayed or processed differently. This is not good and the user
> needs to be informed in some way.
> 
> It would be hard to explain to an end-user that they needed
> Planner version 'X' compiled with --enable-simple-priority-scheduling
> as opposed to their Planner version 'X' that didn't have this.
> Especially with pre-compiled binaries that are in distros.
> 
> If we are happy that this type of scheduling is of use to
> more people (and is bug-free !) then as it changes how the
> project works wouldn't it be better to make it a run-time
> option against the project e.g. enabled under
> Project -> Edit Project Properties as a boolean. Opening a
> project that had this set would check that boolean.

Well, its a compile option right now primarily because its an
experimental feature.  While I tested it, I didn't hear feedback from
anyone else who did, and so I'd like to be sure we've had more eyes on
it before calling it bug-free.

I think for v0.14 I'll put some notes in the user guide about it.

> <idea> This needs a DTD change so maybe not version 0.14 but
> afterwards. It should only need a 1-off DTD change as I would suggest
> we put in a single attribute e.g. scheduler-options="..." in the
> project element.
> 
> When using original Planner mode then we would save by default
> as, scheduler-options="none" or maybe not even save that attribute at
> all (so older Planners could open the file), but for example the new
> Simple priority scheduling would be,
> 
> scheduler-options="simple"
> 
> To add more options we would simply concatenate the options e.g.,
> imagine a more complex tweak to the simple scheduler
> called , for example, variable load shaping (or whatever) then we would
> simple add that in as well thus, scheduler-options="simple+variableloadshaping"
> (or use a comma to group these), e.g.,
> 
> <project name="Example" company="LOTR" manager="Joe 90"
> 	phase="" project-start="20060419T000000Z" mrproject-version="2"
> 	calendar="1" scheduler-options="simple+variableloadshaping" >
> 
> Older Planners would just barf up at that attribute of scheduler-options
> unless the file was Exported but once any Planner has the scheduler-options
> attribute in it's DTD then it should complain if it doesn't know
> what to do with any of the options that are set e.g. if Planner 0.15
> just had 'simple' but didn't know about my 'variableloadshaping' scheduler
> and then opened a e.g. 0.16 generated project that used 'variableloadshaping'
> as well then it should complain gracefully e.g.
> 
> "Warning this project file was created with an unknown scheduler option
> <variableloadshaping>. This may affect task and resource scheduling. blah
> blah blah etc. Please contact the person who sent you this file and
> identify the correct version of Planner required.".
> 
> Or some such wording. Then maybe two buttons like ...[Continue Anyway]
> and [Don't Load File]

This all seems reasonable.  I think we can expect additional scheduler
options in the future, so it needs to be extensible - which you've
covered here.


-- 
Kurt Maute <kurt maute us>