See also: OATC Wiki Home
Date: november 3-5, 2008
Venue: Deltares, Rotterdamseweg 185, Delft, The Netherlands
Participants:
Jan Gregersen, DHI / LicTek (gregersen@lictek.dk) (chairman of the meeting)
Adrian Harper, Wallingford Software (adrian.harper@wallingfordsoftware.com)
Stef Hummel, Deltares (stef.hummel@deltares.nl)
~don (Gena), Deltares (gennadii.donchyts@deltares.nl)
Peter Schade, Bundesanstalt fuer Wasserbau, Germany (Peter.Schade@BAW.DE)
Andrea Antonello, Universita` di Trento, (andrea.antonello@gmail.com)
Rob Knapen, Alterra (Rob.Knapen@wur.nl)
~onnoroos, Alterra (Onno.Roosenschoon@wur.nl)
Peter Gijsbers, Deltares (Peter.Gijsbers@deltares.nl)
Jon Goodall, Univ South Carolina (goodall@engr.sc.edu)
Apologies:
Documents:
http://www.openmi.org/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/openmi
wiki.openmi.org
Agenda
1. Minutes from previous OATC meeting
Minutes: ToDo
2. Maintenance and support
2.1 Reported bugs
(GOTO bug list on SourceForge)
Minutes: ToDo
2.2 Help issues
(GOTO help issues on SourceForge)
Minutes: ToDo
2.3 Discussion issues
(GOTO discussion issues on SourceForge)
Minutes: ToDo
3. OpenMI 2.0 Issues
3.1 Use cases
Minutes: ToDo
3.2 OpenMI 2.0 architecture
3.2.1 Current status
The current OpenMI Standard interfaces a shown in the figure below. The implementation is located in the trunk on source forge.
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.2 Events
At the last meeting we discussed if we adapt the way events are used in C# rather that using our own implementation.
See page : Use standard events instead of many interfaces like IListener, IPublisher
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.3 Configuration interfaces
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.4 IQuality and IQuantity
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.5 Spatial issues
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.6 ITime
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.7 IArgument
Minutes: ToDo
3.2.8 Using Object to pass the values
Minutes: ToDo
3.3 Development and release road map
Version 2 development plan:
September 11th 2008 - November 2nd 2008
Finish the configuration architecture (the decorator pattern)and update SDK and GUI.
November 3 - November 5 2008.
OATC meeting in The Netherlands: special focus on return types and geometry (ElementSet)
November 6th 2008 - January 12th 2009
Implementation of new geometry interfaces and return types. Update SDK and GUI
January 13th - January 15th 2009
OATC meeting in UK. Final decision for the version 2 standard interfaces. This also implies deciding which requested feature that will not be include in version 2.
January 16th - March 9th 2009
Complete implementation and unit testing of the version 2 standard, SDK and GUI
March 10 - March 12 2009
OATC meetings, Denmark. OpenMI 2 standard, SDK and GUI beta release
March 13 - April 20, 2009
Migrate and test selected commercial models and components for version 2
April 21 - April 23
OATC Meeting i The Netherlands. Evaluate real models test and further refinements for version 2
April 24 - June 09 2009:
Continues real models testing, write documentation.
June 10 - June 12 2009
OATC meeting in Denmark. Final evaluation, submission of the version 2 to the OpenMI Association Executive Committee for acceptance
June 13 - October 13 2009
The standard is reviewed by external reviewers
October 14 - December 19, 2009
Adjustments based on comments from the reviewers. Finalization of the OpenMI 2 release.
December 20th 2009
OpenMI 2 standard, SDK and GUI release.
Minutes: ToDo
3. OpenMI Java and OpenMI .net synchronization
Minutes: ToDo
4. OATC Procedures
4.1 Proposal for procedures for OpenMI Standard releases
see: Proposed procedure for OpenMI Standard releases
Minutes: ToDo
4.2 Proposed procedure for evaluation of OpenMI compliance
see Proposed procedure for evaluation of OpenMI compliance.
Minutes: ToDo
4.2 Review and update the OATC procedures
What is the status with respect to procedures other that the standard release procedure (point 4.1)
Minutes: ToDo
5. www.OpenMI.org and wiki.OpenMI.org
A proposal to the OAEC is ready in a draft version: see
5.1 Review the getting started pages on the wiki
We have already put enormous efforts into documenting the OpenMI standard and the SDK. By the end of the HarmonIt project we wrote hundreds of page in the formal documentation (the Book A -F stuff), and more recently we have worked especially on the wiki to improve the documentation in order to facilitate people new to OpenMI (the HowTo pages). So even though we are well above the typical documentation level for research projects, we still need to improve. I think that improving documentation and guidelines will be the area where we achieve most effect in order to get OpenMI used around the world. Naturally we still need to develop new features, but should not sacrifice documentation. I believe that the getting started pages on the wiki is currently be best entry for new people and I will typically direct such people to these pages. I would appreciate if we could spend a little time going through the getting started pages and assign task for improvements. Specifically, I have noticed that after the upgrade of the wiki sofware some pages have been corrupted.
David Maidment recently wrote in a mail to Roger. "I think the OpenMI conceptual model is presently contained in Appendix G or somewhere else near the end of your large manual. I wonder if this model could be restated in a separate document so that reviewers of it don't have to extract the key points out of a huge software engineering manual. I am thinking of something that could be read and understood by your hydrologic science colleagues at CHE, the scientists in our ChyMP group, etc.". Most likely he did not know about the wiki, which make me think if the wiki exposed sufficiently on the official openmi web,
(Jan)
Minutes:
We decided to review and update the HowTo pages. We have distributed the pages between us as shown below. All this should be completed before the January OATC meeting.
* What is OpenMI (Adrian)
* How is the OpenMI standard defined (Adrian)
* Using OpenMI 1.4.0.0
** What is new in version 1.4.0.0 for end users (Adrian)
** What should be installed on users computers (Adrian)
** Linking models (Jan)
** Using the configuration editor (Jan)
** Hands on - make your own OpenMI linked system (Jan)
** End-users support (Adrian)
* Developing components for OpenMI 1.4.0.0
** What is new in OpenMI 1.4.0.0 for developers (Adrian)
** What should OpenMI 1.4.0.0 developers install (Adrian)
** HOW does the OpenMI Linkable Component calling sequence work ? (Adrian)
** How to migrate existing Fortran based models codes (Jan)
** How to upgrade from previous version (Stef)
** How to work with OMI files (Stef)
** How to link OpenMI components via interface calls (Stef)
** How to link to Excel (Stef)
** How to turn an Ascii file reader into a Linkable Component (Stef)
** How to turn a database into a LinkableComponent (Stef)
** How to make linking of models with different grids possible. (Stef)
** How to get the most recent source code for the GUI and SDK (Stef)
* Java / GIS related (new pages)
** How to get started with OpenMI in Java (Rob)
** How to get started with OpenMI and UDig GIS in Java (Andrea)
5.2 Could we simply use a wiki for the official OpenMI web site
Currently the official OpenMI is exposed on three different web sites www.OpenMI.org, wiki.OpenMI.org and http://sourceforge.net/projects/openmi. There are naturally good reasons for running these three web sites. www.OpenMI.org is the very official nicely formatted quality assured stuff, whereas the wiki is more quick and dirty, and finally sourceforge provides tools for version control, task and bug trackers, and help forum. It is my impression that people, in their search for information about OpenMI may get confused, also I sometimes have doubts about how much funding we will have when the Life project ends, hence we need to go for agile solutions. I discussed these issues with Michiel Blind some month ago and we agreed it should be investigated if we simply could use a wiki for the official web site. There are examples of very nicely formatted wikis around (see e.g.). In my opinion largest advantage of switching to a wiki, it the ability for a large group to easily edit the text on the wiki - so we get the nice stuff out there quickly. So, what is the OATC opinion about this? Can we recommend specific wiki software? Would it be possible to spend some time setting something up, that will demonstrate how is could look? Jan Gregersen
Minutes:
It was agreed that a Wiki would be the best solution. On a longer term we may want to use a real content management system, which makes nice formatting possible, but for now the contents of the pages are considered more important that the appearance. Adrian will investigate if WSL can provide a server to host the WIKI and Stef will investigate if Deltares can host. We agree that our current wiki for OATC (Confluence) is the best choice. Jan will make sure that this issue is on the agenda for the next AOEC meeting.
Confluence can be also customized to make layout look more professional like using plugin like Adaptivist Theme Builder . If we have time - we can also use current web site design materials for it.
6. Miscellaneous issues
6.1 Meeting plan for 2009
I have proposed dates for the OATC meeting for 2009. Please see the OATC Calendar
Minutes:
The proposed dates were accepted except the meeting from April 28-30 2009, which was moved to April 21-23 2009. The OATC wiki calendar has been updated to reflect the agreed dates for meetings.
6.2 How can Java developers contribute
(from Rob Knapen( There are some people expressing interest to contribute to the OpenMI
Java development, any ideas how this can be set up? Is it something the
OpenMI TC would like to handle, as part of the OpenMI open source
community?
Minutes:
Curret status: The Java SDK is under MyOpen Source on source forge is difficult for people to find.
Rob and Andrea will make a wiki HowTo page describing the Java SDK and explaining how to use it and where to download it.
6.3 OpenMI Compliance HTML tool
Adrain has completed the first version of a tool that can take the OpenMIComplinanceInfo.xml file and transform it into readable HTML. This tool is intended to be used by the OATC in to take XML files submitted to the OpenMI Association and convert them to HTML and then put these op the OpenMI web (the OpenMI compliant components page). I tried to make it work, but I did not have sufficient patience to make it work. Always a problem with command line programs that take a number of arguments and file paths. Since this tool is something that is going to be used only whenever someone submits a XML file to the OpenMI Association for approval, I think it would be very useful with a simple user interface. Otherwise you will forget how to work with it from time to time. I can see that one of the arguments is the path to the xsd file. Would it not be simpler to have a copy of this file at the same place as the OpenMIComplinceHTML.exe file, it is always the same XSD file that should be used anyway.
As I see it a GUI will simply be one form / dialog which has a field to browse for the OpenMICompliance.xml file and one field to define the name and location of the ouput.HTML file.
Minutes:
Adrian made a nice user interface and the produced HTML files looks very nice. The general idea is that these HTML should be put on the official OpenMI page (www.openmi.org). However, we need to find out what to do with the model already listed. Jan will make a couple of wiki pages to see how this could be done, and subsequently mail OATC to ask for comments.
Jan Gregersen
6.4 Sourceforge SVN cleanup
From Jan: For some reason I like to have a full copy of OpenMI SourceForge repository on my local disk. However, currently this is about 4GB data (takes forever to download). One of the problems is the HEC model data that for some reason is checked into the repository. Could we somehow remove these data files and possibly also review if some of the branches are outdated and can be removed.
Minutes:
Gena will create new my openMI open source version control repository on source forge and move the HEC files to this repository
6.5 OpenMI workshop at the BAW
There will be an OpenMI workshop at the BAW in Hamburg on the 31. October 2008. The aim of the workshop is to encourage modellers and developers in Germany to join the OpenMI community. The BAW is interested in finding partners with a strong interest in 2D or 3D models.
We sent the potential attendants a questionnaire. The feedback to the questionnaire displayed a technical interest and can be discussed with the developers as well as with the dissemination committee. The most demanded question was how to make an existing model OpenMI compliant. Thus, we and the participants would appreciate OpenMI developers as presenters.
Minutes:
The following PDF contains the feedback concerning the questionnaire and a draft of the agenda: Workshop Proposals
Roger Moore, Jan Gregersen and somebody from Deltares will attend the workshop on behalf of the OpenMI Association. They and Peter Schade will try to agree on an agenda until 19. September 2008.
Peter Schade
6.6 Review of submitted InfoWorks OpenMI 1.4 xml files
Adrian has on behalf of Wallingford Software submitted xml files for InfoWorks according the the OpenMI 1.4 standard. Formally, the OATC should review these files and make recommendations to the OAEC for accepting or rejecting the components as officially OpenMI compliant. The files are attached to this agenda: InfoWorksXMLZipFile
Minutes:
OATC decided to recommend that the submitted xml's are accepted
7. Tasks and unresolved issues
All tasks are handled by sourceForge. GOTO: OpenMI Tasks on source forge
*8. Any other business
Plan from now until next meeting
Minutes:
* Insert the following into the trunk
** Spatial things (see page..). (to be finished) (finished before Wednesday next week)
** Manual merge the Gregersen3 branch into the trunk. (Jan and Stef via Skype, next week). It involves the standard and backbone.
** Add the IDictionary type for Arguments (used for IDecoratedOutputexchageItem)
** Implement SDK and GUI.
