Re: [Planner Dev] Resource feedback

[Lincoln Phipps <lincoln phipps openmutual net>]

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.

<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]

</idea>

Lincoln