[LDM #YXG-369372]: FW: LDM Support and Future Enhancements

Joel,

> How would one get some capability added to the new software?

The ways that one could get a new feature into the LDM are:

1.  Ask us to do it.  This is possible but, depending on the
cost of adding the feature, it could be problematical.  I'm the only 
developer working on the LDM and I have other responsibilities as
well as working on a successor to the LDM.

2.  Pay us to do it.  This is less problematical but, again depending
on the cost, it could be tricky unless we could hire someone to help.

3.  Do it yourself.  You'd need a pretty good programmer and,
naturally, we'd want to be involved.

4.  Some combination of the above.  One possibility would be to
establish a co-operative development environment using a common
code management system, good communications channels, etc.  I've
wanted to do this but haven't been able to justify its costs.

> How would one
> get a preview?  Is there anything to see....

There's not much to see of the LDM successor at the moment.  Maybe
in a couple of months something way too simple will be available
for some "tire kicking".

> I guess what I am alluding to
> is that if I can generate interest in an enhancement, funding can be made
> available.  Is there interest on your end?

We're always interested in money.  :-)  The question is what would be
our cost.

Converting the configuration-files to XML would be the
easier of the two features you mentioned, in my opinion.  We *might* be
able to get a student assistant to do it this summer.  What's your
time frame and funding like?

Adding a GUI would be much more difficult, in my opinion, because the
structure of the LDM would probably have to be torqued around in order
to be GUI-friendly.  It would require a good programmer and several
months.  Again, what's your time frame and funding?

DISCLAIMER: I'm not authorized to negotiate anything binding.

Do you have any other features in mind?

> I guess first I would need some
> sort of breakdown of the new enhancements.  Do you have something outside of
> the WIKI?

I don't have anything outside the Wiki that I'd feel comfortable inflicting
on others.  I do have some code, but it's on my private workstation and
under active development.  I do have some UML diagrams, but without an
interpreter, I don't think they'd be very meaningful.

> Joel Asunskis, P.E.
> Hydraulic Engineer
> 
> US Army Engineer District, St. Louis
> Engineering & Construction Division
> Hydrologic & Hydraulics Branch
> 
> WATER DATA MANAGEMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL
> QUALITY SECTION (CEMVS-ECHMQ)
> 
> 1222 Spruce St.
> St. Louis, MO 63103
> 
> (314) 331-8338
> (314) 331-8342

Regards,
Steve Emmerson

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: YXG-369372
Department: Support LDM
Priority: Normal
Status: On Hold