Atoms categories

[Samuel Gougeon]

Hello,

Beside the compilation chain, one of the great new features
of the new online toolboxes management system ATOMS is the ability
to tag each toolbox with more than one category (see the "New toolbox"
interface), and to use subcategories.
However, they are a number of things that, IMO, would be worthwhile
to tune for initializing the system before it gets crowdy. I would
like to discuss them here, before any possible bug/request report.

First, the "New toolbox" interface allows /any user/ to create a
new category or sub-category. This feature sounds very hasardous.
IMO, it should be a webmaster privilege, after discusion of categories
here on users@ and with internal Consortium agreement.
One may fear that indexation of modules in categories turns
quite quickly messy ; because it would then be complicated to
correct it afterwards, we should avoid this situation without waiting.
A messy tool is no tool, so ignoring past efforts of everyone
for keeping clear categories.

Moereover, i do not feel really convinced by the new list of 17
defined categories and 9 subcategories
(see list on page http://atoms.scilab.org/.
Former page: http://www.scilab.org/contrib/index_contrib.php?page=download)
An alternative is proposed herebelow. Leading numbers are references
for the following discussion.

(1) * Xcos
(2) * Visualisation (graphics)
(3) * User Interfaces (UI)
       - Editor styles
       - Graphical UI
       - Browsers
       - Other
(4) * Instruments control
       - Data acquisition (drivers)
       - Remote control (drivers)
       - Real-time & misc.
(5) * Data handling & processing
       - General
       - Strings & texts
       - Image
       - Sound
       - Databases
(6) * Mathematics
(7) * Advanced tools
       - Optimization
       - Modeling & control
       - Finite elements
       - Graphs & Networks
       - Advanced processing
       - Other
(8) * Applied tools
       - Physics
       - Biology
       - Economy
       - Other
(9) * System & dev
       - Operating Systems
       - File management
       - InterSoft
       - Parallelization
       - Other
(10)* Education
(11)* Documentation
       - Manuals
       - Tutorials & demos
       - Tools for docs
-----
(1) Xcos: Since multi-tagging is possible, a "Manual"
      sub-category is useless (tagging Xcos + Manual)
(2) Visualisation instead of Graphics, since GUI is also
related to Graphics, while a specific box may be created
for UIs. So, for GUI, Visualisation AND UI will be tagged.

(3) UI. Not sure that sub-categories would be useful here.
     List given for mind mapping.

(4) Instruments control: For uploading drivers for
      detectors & actuators. Tools ror instrumental
      communication protocol shall go to Realtime & misc box

(5) * Data handling & processing: Sound, Strings & text
      processing shoult not be forgotten.

(6) * Mathematics: Obviously, for general maths tools:
        Statistics, linear algebra, differential calculus,
         symbolic, geometry, topology, etc. Sub-categories
         might be defined afterwards, or not.

(7) * Advanced tools: Neural networks => Advanced processing.
       Genetic algorithms & Simul. annealing => Optimization.
       (Why are there presently 5 sub-categories for Optim box ???
       Will long stay with only few items for each one).

(8) * Applied tools: Additional sub-categories might be defined
       later, with respect to the number and color of the Other-box'
       population. e.g., thinking about "Humanities"
       (Automatic language & speach processing => Other).

(9) * System & dev: OS category shall not specifically target
        Windows, and shall become a sub-category here.
        "Parallelization" and "Benchmarks & Tests" might be
        skipped to join "Other".

(10)* Education: Alternative: Could be considered as a
        sub-category of the "Applied tools" main box.

(11)* Documentation: Not only manuals! Sub-categories are
        compulsory, because of language diversity!
        Filter on the language could be implemented later.
        What about the compilation chain here ?
        In the "New toolbox" interface, a language(s) field
        should be proposed, at least for modules of this box.

Discussion and comments are welcome.
Cheers
Samuel