[kepler-dev] [Bug 2888] New: - Minimize number of 'constant' actors

[bugzilla-daemon@ecoinformatics.org]

http://bugzilla.ecoinformatics.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2888

           Summary: Minimize number of 'constant' actors
           Product: Kepler
           Version: 1.0.0beta3
          Platform: Other
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: actors
        AssignedTo: higgins at nceas.ucsb.edu
        ReportedBy: higgins at nceas.ucsb.edu
         QAContact: kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org


Current Kepler has 2 types of Constant actors (Constant and SingleFireConstant)
and 2 different 'StringConstant' actors (PermanentStringConstant and
StringConstant). In both cases, the primary difference is the number of times
the actor 'fires'.

Ptolemy has now changed the behavior of its Constant actor to have a
'firingCountLimit' parameter. There is thus no need for the two types of
'constant' actors in Kepler (which have tended to confuse several users).

Note also that Ptolemy extends 'Const' to create 'StringConstant'. Kepler,
however, does not! And Kepler's StringConstant has added a File parameter to
StringConstant so that file name strings can be easily created.

We should change the StringConstant in Kepler to extend Constant AND add the
File parameter.