Open source Pattern Development for Plex

1
Open source Pattern Development for Plex
Session No. 6C

• Willem de Vries, Remia
• Simon Jasperse, Kiboko

2
Agenda

• Introduction
• The Remia XML Case
• Open Source Plex Patterns
• Discussion

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Introduction

• The Plex reuse-building pattern-promise
• The hourglass didnt evolve
• The open source gemstone

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The power of open source

• Linux
• Apache
• 68 of web sites - Netcraft Oct 2004, 20 fortune
  1000 companies
• MySQL
• 3rd in deployment after SQLServer and Oracle, DB2
  is 4th, - July 2004, SD Times
• PHP
• 30, asp 50, cfm 20, Oct 2004, various
• Mozilla
• 5 and counting
• Big Players joining
• IBM, CA, Microsoft

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Characteristics

• Free
• Community ownership, free distribution
• Source code distribution
• Users can change the product
• Peer Review
• Users can influence the product
• Distribution
• No restriction in parties - secondary software
• Review Board / Committee
• Decides on core product

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Open Source Basic idea

• The basic idea behind open source is very
  simple When programmers can read, redistribute,
  and modify the source code for a piece of
  software, the software evolves. People improve
  it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this
  can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the
  slow pace of conventional software development,
  seems astonishing.

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Standards

• A certification standard issued by the Open
  Source Initiative (OSI)
• The author or holder of the license of the source
  code cannot collect royalties on the distribution
  of the program
• The distributed program must make the source code
  accessible to the user
• The author must allow modifications and
  derivations of the work under the program's
  original name
• No person, group or field of endeavour can be
  denied access to the program
• The rights attached to the program must not
  depend on the program's being part of a
  particular software distribution
• The licensed software cannot place restrictions
  on other software that is distributed with it.

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Distribution Licencing

• Open source principles www.opensource.org
• 1. Free Redistribution
• 2. Source Code Included
• 3. Derived Works the same terms as original
  software.
• 4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code
  (possible restriction)
• 5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups.
• 6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
• 7. Distribution of License
• 8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
• 9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
• 10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

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Remia XML Case

• XML Pattern developed in 2000
• Data presentation - Data Transfer - Extract Model
  Info
• Edge Presentations London - Barcelona - Vegas
• pattern exchange - forum messages - more exchange
• Exchanged with 7 parties
• swap patterns
• pattern Enhancements, Java Variant by BFM
• comments, discussions and suggestions
• large time savings reported

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Remia XML Case

• Product improvement
• programming quality, increased functionality
• Maintenance
• updating / distributing / communication
• Open source idea
• discussions

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Remia XML Case Distribution

• Pattern 8 sites
• Remia
• Datanomics
• BFM
• CCH
• DeltaLogic
• niit-tech
• Data Specialists
• ReadyPac
• Manual .. sites
• Known use

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Previous / Similar initiatives

• CA / Fowler cooperation, discontinued?
• OPAC, asleep?
• http//groups.yahoo.com/group/OPAC/
• Open MiniPatterns, asleep?
• http//www.geocities.com/coolplexde/OpenMiniPatter
  n.html
• Pattern Factory, active and involved
• http//www.patternfactory.net/
• Lessons learnt?

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Open source Pattern Factory

• Joint development
• Contents
• Quality
• Broad applicability
• Multi-variant development
• Programmers participation
• Distribution
• Free, no model licencing
• Restricted on contribution?

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Discussion

• Is it viable?
• In what form?
• Patterns to build
• Technical matters

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Forum Discussion

• Open Source Patterns Anyone? 13-10-04
• www.edgeusergroup.org/forums/Thread.cfm?CFApp82?
  Thread_ID28782
• 17 Participants
• Mostly positive count me in
• Combine Pattern Factory and OS
• CA should support the initiative
• Best without CA, user community to make it work
• Open source initiative can make a difference
• Funny you should mention that
• Rules and commitments for all participants
• Just about the only thing that will get the Plex
  community any improvements to the tool.
• Developers are not ready to share such resources

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Forum Discussion Poll

• Poll (17 forum participants)
• How much time can you spend on OS?
• What kind of Activities do you want to do?
• What kind of Organisation do we need?
• Patterns to build?
• Patterns to share?
• 5 replies, 2 refer to Prague

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Forum Discussion Poll

• How much time can you spend? 4 replies
• 2-4 days/month
• 5-25 hrs/week
• 1-3 hrs/day
• 15-20 hrs/week
• Which Activities
• Pattern Design, Pattern Building, Code review,
  Testing, Documentation, Standards, Board, Model
  Management
• all

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Forum Discussion Poll

• What kind of Organisation?
• Plex community might be too small
• Role of CA technical / organisational resource
• Small oversight board to facilitate / coordinate
  activities
• Org to develop as we go
• Pattern "owner" as pivot
• OPAC as platform
• Free discussion followed by project leading to
  org structure
• Establish conditions members should comply with
• Standards and guidelines to govern all
  development? Special Interest Groups to develop
  patterns conform standards

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Forum Discussion Poll

• Patterns to build?
• Small, wide use pilot pattern
• Stick to CA base classes?
• Technology (small) patterns or business patterns?
• XML export/import
• JAVA variant of some patterns
• String management, File management
  (Multiplatform), Messaging management, Ad hoc
  data processing, Linux support

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Forum Discussion Poll

• Patterns to share?
• Treeview a entity with TreeView/TreeView
• Filter filterfunction.
• EditDetailSts, EditDialogSts Includes logical
  deletion, reactivation
• Print OBase-like reportfunction
• Test and debug existing applications
• CA patterns
• Extended MAPI pattern

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Forum Discussion Poll

• Patterns to share?
• Text file handling for C
• RPGSQL
• MQ Series - windows environment ( working on
  iSeries version)
• FTP windows and iSeries
• MSMQ windows
• DB2/400 triggers (work in progress)
• Outlook display