[kepler-dev] Icons in the *DataSource actors

[Dan Higgins]

Jing,
    Good Point.

    Maybe we could have the 'GetMetadata' button method download the 
metadata if it has not been cached?

Dan

Jing Tao wrote:

> Hi, Dan:
>
> I agree with you that move the data download process from 
> attributeChange to initialize will speed up the opening of workflow. 
> But I have a comment about this:
>
>>    Note that we also need to consider what happens when someone loads
>> an existing workflow with datasource actors for the first time.
>> Currently, the data and metadata is downloaded when such an existing
>> workflow is first opened, just as if it was dragged from the actor list.
>> In this case, we wouldn't even need to get the metadata immediately
>> since all the ports should be described in the associated MOML. So maybe
>> we can put off all the downloading until workflow execution.
>>
>
> I think we still need metadata immeidately in this senario, otherwise 
> the "Get Metadata" button in datasource actor will fail.
>
> Jing
>
>
>
>
>
>> Dan
>>
>> ---
>>
>> Matthew Brooke wrote:
>>
>>> Laura (also Kevin & Dan) -
>>>
>>> Sorry - the states that I know about are 'busy' (currently red), 
>>> 'ready'
>>> (currently yellow) and 'error' (currently pink). Not sure if there are
>>> any more.
>>>
>>> I also think I recall seeing a discussion on IRC or by email about
>>> having the datasources *not* get their data before the workflow is 
>>> run -
>>> was that conversation between Dan and Kevin? Can either of you guys
>>> summarize what you decided?
>>>
>>> m
>>>
>>>
>>> Laura L. Downey wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Before I make a recommendation I'd like to understand what "states" 
>>>> these
>>>> icons have to display?
>>>>
>>>> And it does seem a bit unusual to me to have processes doing 
>>>> something when
>>>> the user hasn't instructed the workflow to execute.  But I'm not 
>>>> familiar
>>>> with these specific actors or the specific workflow you are 
>>>> referencing.
>>>>
>>>> Is it some kind of polling thing?
>>>>
>>>> On a general note, I pretty much agree with Matthew's suggestion of 
>>>> having
>>>> the icons fit in with the general scheme then doing something else to
>>>> indicate state changes (highlighting, superimposing, putting some 
>>>> symbol
>>>> above or below that indicates state change etc.)  There are a 
>>>> variety of
>>>> ways we might do this.
>>>>
>>>> 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: kepler-dev-bounces at ecoinformatics.org
>>>> [mailto:kepler-dev-bounces at ecoinformatics.org] On Behalf Of Matthew 
>>>> Brooke
>>>> Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 2:16 PM
>>>> To: Kevin Ruland; kepler-dev at ecoinformatics.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [kepler-dev] Icons in the *DataSource actors
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Kevin -
>>>>
>>>> I'd noticed (and ignored ;-) the eml200datasource actor; I agree with
>>>> you that it's not visually compatible with the new icon scheme, and 
>>>> had
>>>> meant to discuss it with Laura.
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering if a better way to do this would be to use an assigned
>>>> icon that doesn't change, but then the actor superimpose something on
>>>> top of it that gives the user some feedback on status/progress 
>>>> (instead
>>>> of switching out the entire icon or changing its color).
>>>>
>>>> This way, the background icon would always "fit" with the color 
>>>> scheme,
>>>> and if the icons change in future, we probably won't need to change
>>>> anything specifically for these actors, since they are superimposing
>>>> their "status message" on top of the icon.
>>>>
>>>> Laura - do you have any comments?
>>>>
>>>> m
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Kevin Ruland wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Matthew, et al
>>>>>
>>>>> Both Eml200DataSource and DarwinCoreDataSource actors have hard coded
>>>>> icons.  They are not exactly using the same code but it looks like 
>>>>> one
>>>>> was cribbed from the other.  They set the folder shape, then make 
>>>>> calls
>>>>> to control color/text changes to indicate state.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since the icon system is/has gone through a major overhaul, I 
>>>>> would like
>>>>> to discuss how we can get compatible icons for these actors.  I 
>>>>> think it
>>>>> is still good for them to be able to control some indication of state
>>>>> since they do perform background tasks even when the workflow is not
>>>>> running.
>>>>>
>>>>> BTW - by "compatible" I mean in the visual sense.  These icons are 
>>>>> very
>>>>> boxy and the colors are much too vibrant -- they would look horrible
>>>>> with the new icons.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kevin
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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