[kepler-dev] port parameters

[Laura L. Downey]

Thanks Christopher.  I thought I looked there and don't know how I missed
it.  For some reason I can access section 3.3.2 but I can't get to Section
5.4 (get a file I/O error of all things).   I've tried several times.

As to the colors of PortParameters and ParameterPorts, I need to get these
straight in my head before really making any kind of informed
recommendation.  

>From a purely visual perspective, I will just raise the issue of using gray
as possibly problematic simply because it is often used to indicate some
disabled state.

I might be worried that a gray triangle will instead say to the users that a
port is disabled for some reason.

Some of the things I would want to understand before making an informed
recommendation would be things like:

-Can PortParameters and ParameterPorts also be singular or multiple?
-Is there a specific reason why we would need to somehow distinguish them to
the user visually?
-If they really function on the basic level like regular ports do they need
a different representation?
-Would it be creators of workflows as opposed to runners or editors of
workflows that need the distinction?

Etc.

Visual design can often get too cluttered if we try to differentiate too
many things, then the coding (colors, symbols, shapes, thick lines, thin
lines, dotted lines, bolded text, italics and so on) begins to be a burden
to the user.


Laura L. Downey
Senior Usability Engineer
LTER Network Office
Department of Biology, MSC03 2020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM  87131-0001
505.277.3157 phone
505.277-2541 fax
ldowney at lternet.edu
 

-----Original Message-----
From: cxh at EECS.Berkeley.EDU [mailto:cxh at EECS.Berkeley.EDU] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:04 PM
To: Laura L. Downey
Cc: kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] port parameters 

Hi Laura,
The best place to look is Volume 1 of the Ptolemy II Design doc:
http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/papers/05/ptIIdesign1-intro/ptIIdesign1-int
ro.pdf

Section 3.3.2, "Port Parameters" is a good place to start.
See also 5.4 "Couple Port and Parameter"

The Javadoc can be found at
http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/ptolemyII/ptIIlatest/ptII/doc/codeDoc/ptole
my/actor/parameters/PortParameter.html

This brings up a UI question.
There are PortParameters and ParameterPorts.
I get confused about which is which.

ParameterPorts are ports that update a parameter in a container.
ParameterPorts are:

 A specialized port for use with PortParameter.  This port is created
 by an instance of PortParameter and provides values to a parameter.
 Data should not be read directly from this port.  Instead, the update
 method of the corresponding PortParameter should be invoked.  This
 port is only useful if the container is opaque, however, this is not
 checked.

When I was updating the relation icons to look like your gif images I
ran in to ParameterPorts.  Currently non-multiport ParameterPorts are
darkGray.  I think these should be lightGray so as to be closer to the
white of regular non-multiports.  (I'm not sure if multiport
ParameterPorts exist (Edward??).)

The easiest way to see a ParameterPort is to start up Kepler:
1) File -> New -> Graph Editor
2) Search for Sinewave
3) Drag the Sinewave actor in to a canvas.
4) Then right click on the Sinewave composite actor and lookinside.

What do you think, should I change the darkGrey to lightGrey
to better match the white of single ports?

_Christopher

Laura writes:
--------
    Is there an indepth discussion/description about port parameters
anywhere?
    I thought I remembered seeing something in an earlier version of Ptolemy
    documentation but for some reason I can't find it.  Can someone point me
to
    it?
    
     
    
    Thanks.