Re: brainstorming SVG_INTERACTIVE

[Ethan A M. <merritt@u.washington.edu>]

On Tuesday 30 December 2008, pl...@pi... wrote:

> It was the js eventhandler for onclick . I originally wanted to extend
> the argument list with a struct pointer as I suggested but you weren't
> keen.

You misunderstood me. I was not objecting to passing a structure pointer; 
I think that is a good idea.  I was just pointing out that extra
parameters added "for slop" are not a great recommendation for a design.

> > 4) Please document the use of term->set_id_click(), term->move_ex(), and so on.
> >    The description must be complete enough so that someone can code up the
> >    corresponding routines for other terminals.  
> >    It seems that you only ever pass in strings "legend#", "line#", and "sample#".
> >    Do these have to be strings at all? Can they be defined constants?   Enums?   
> 
> For the purposes of this functionality yes, future js may want actual
> variables here so I left it open.

But the core code cannot pass anything that is specific to a particular
terminal driver.  Anything that refers to jscript or svg tags must be
generated by the driver from generic requests passed in from the core.
It's OK to pass a URL as a string so that the driver can wrap it in 
whatever code is needed to trigger that link.  But it's not OK to have
the core code pass in a fragment of xml or jscript or svg or whatever.
The same call has to work for other terminal drivers.


> > 5) It would be good to include a demo script, so that people can test the
> >    patchset immediately without having to learn the details first.
> > 
> Yes a demo would be good, I just wanted to make sure it was in an
> acceptable form before going to that sort of lengths.

You'll get more testers if you make easy to test.
The easiest test is to run a script that is supposed to work.
If the tester has to roll his own, and it doesn't work, then he
doesn't know whether the code is failing or if he misunderstood
how to use it, or what.

Even if you post a sample output plot, it is good to also provide the
script that generated it. For instance, in the plot you posted before,
"150tank-test.svg", only 2 of the 9 plots listed in the key are visible.
Those two can be toggled off, but the other 7 cannot be toggled on.
Is this intended?  Is it a bug?  Hard to say without seeing the script.

> I wanted to get this checked a bit before submitting to SF but you
> requested I post it. Once you're happy with the state of it I'll resubmit.



-- 
Ethan A Merritt