[SED-ML-discuss] Way forward

[Nicolas Le N. <le...@eb...>]

Hello,

L1 V1 is now out, and you are of course all busy implementing support. 
Don't forget to report any problem you find in the spec to the tracker:
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=293618&atid=1345549

With the coming HARMONY, I think it would perhaps be useful to start 
discussing about a way forward. L1 V1 is great, but its purpose was mainly 
to provide a robust framework for future work. Indeed, the only simulation 
experiment we can encode at the moment is the single uniform timecourse. 
This covers the majority of simulations out there (at least among the ones 
used in papers describing models present in BioModels Db), but it is far to 
be sufficient.

The problem we face is to evolve slowly to allow painless implementation 
and maintenance, while providing structure to allow complex simulation 
experiments such as parameter scans and optimisation. In the past, most 
often project favoured one approach over the other, resulting either in 
languages not evolving fast enough for the needs, or being totally unstable 
and therefore not supported. In order to avoid this situation, I propose to 
have two concurrent lines of development:

Level 1: In future versions we only add to the existing language, without 
major restructuration. Examples are addition of simulation classes and 
enriching output description.

Level 2: We allow ourselves to go a bit wild, and imagine more drastic 
changes, so as to encore iterative simulation tasks etc.

This would allow development of solid implementations of Level 1, still 
improving and evolving, without stalling the expansion of the language.

What do-you think?

-- 
Nicolas LE NOVERE, Computational Systems Neurobiology, EMBL-EBI, WTGC,
Hinxton CB101SD UK, Mob:+447833147074, Tel:+441223494521 Fax:468,
Skype:n.lenovere, AIM:nlenovere, twitter:@lenovere
http://www.ebi.ac.uk/~lenov/, http://www.ebi.ac.uk/compneur/