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ITAC - Nevada Meeting, action item #9
Followup on the Graphics issues

ITAC,

Below is a statement of intent based on the graphics discussion at the last ITAC meeting in Carson City. DIS and NWIS intend to do the following and would like your comments and support. Colleen, Susan, Isabelle and Dane worked with Alan to develop the NWIS side of the plan. Alan and Tom worked out roles and responsibilities.

Background:

S-PLUS and Tkg2 implementations of graphics do not completely meet the NWIS functionality that the users had in previous releases of NWIS. Interim graphics solutions for NWIS 4_1, NWIS 4_2, and NWISWeb products currently use five different tools, S-PLUS, Tkg2, Xlib, Java, and GNU. Fewer graphics tools could reduce the development, support and maintenance costs. Based on ITAC recommendations, S-PLUS will continue to be supported by DIS. ITAC recommends a replacement for G2, but does not recommend replacing G2 with the proposed development effort using SQUEAK. ITAC continues to recommend graphic solutions that can operate in both the Unix and Windows environments.

Plan:

1. NWIS will freeze further development and refinement of S-PLUS and Tkg2 to make resources available for a solution that will reduce long-term costs, re-instate lost functionality, and add new priority functionality.
2. Tkg2 support using Will Asquith will continue this year by NWIS as currently arranged, but Will has already provided over 10% of the 15% time available. Additional support time is not available. Maintenance support for next FY has yet to be arranged.
3. DIS will consider funding enhancements to Tkg2, including a Windows port, as the alternative for G2. ITAC will provide the priority. DIS will attempt to identify other developers to help support Tkg2, if funding becomes available.
4. DIS will continue S-PLUS support and enhancement, including the two current QW programs used by NWIS. S-PLUS enhancement requests from NWIS users groups will be provided to DIS for consideration.
5. NWIS intends to have Dane Ohe(NWIS), David Coyle(NWISWeb), and Shiva Chen (GCLAS contractor) start an effort to summarize NWIS graphics requirements, prepare a high level design, and estimate costs for Java replacements for all graphics requirements not available with S-PLUS. The development effort would build on open-source Java graphics and not from scratch. This evaluation will start after the NWIS 4_2 and GCLAS commitments are met.
6. Evolving the NWIS Java graphics to a G2 replacement is not a goal, but a possible option in the future.

We look forward to your comments.

Tom and Alan

Address questions or comments to Charles Merk, ITAC Secretary cfmerk on (703) 648-5680