[gme-users] Why doesn't MetaGME address paradigm version changesautomatically?

[Larry Howard]

  The main reason we highly recommend the export/import method when upgrading is the possible incompatibility between the MGA file formats
And how often does this actually happen relative to the number of GME releases?  Is a change in the MGA file format something that is not known to the development team for a particular release?  If it is, would it not make more sense to provide this guidance relative to a particular release, perhaps in the release notes?  And speaking of this, I highly recommend that GME make the release notes for new versions available from the download/distribution site prior to installation so that GME users can decide if upgrading is important to them.

Now, none of this changes the recommendation that I made in the earlier message.  Clearly exporting to XME is used as a solution for not distributing multiple paradigm versions for the paradigms that GME distributes, including the vital MetaGME.   You are correct that this is the problem that CAPE distributions address, and I continue to argue that it is both good practice and relatively easily effected.  Further, I believe that support for paradigm migration is something that the MetaGME paradigm should view as a requirement, regardless of whether it can be handled by GME's normal upgrading machinery.

Developers must view decisions from the perspective of their users.  When there will be 100s of GME users, who potentially have 10s of projects (as I do), certain decisions begin to look like Microsoft's early decisions regarding registry changes and rebooting.  Shall we not be more proactive?
--
Larry Howard
Sr. Research Scientist
Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Vanderbilt University
howardlp at isis.vanderbilt.edu   voice: (615) 343-7447 fax: (615) 343-7440


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Peter Volgyesi 
  To: 'A list for GME users to share thoughts and discuss bugs and fixes.' 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 7:35 AM
  Subject: RE: [gme-users] Why doesn't MetaGME address paradigm version changesautomatically?


  Larry,

  The main reason we highly recommend the export/import method when upgrading is the possible incompatibility between the MGA file formats (note: not because of some paradigm change but the change of the file format itself). This kind of problem has not be handled by CAPE, and it is far from straightforward to provide such a migrating tool (this tool would have to access different MGA versions on the very same computer).
  --
  peter




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu [mailto:gme-users-bounces at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of Larry Howard
    Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 4:51 PM
    To: gme-users at list.isis.vanderbilt.edu
    Subject: [gme-users] Why doesn't MetaGME address paradigm version changes automatically?


    GME's release notes state:
      "As your first step in the upgrade process, please export all your
      important projects (to XML format). Binary compatibility between
      different GME versions is not guaranteed."
    We have recognized and addressed this issue for our GME-based product CAPE.  During installation, we distribute and register all paradigm versions that we currently support, and updaters are provided to address any discontinuities not handled by GME's native upgrading features.  We do this because it is an unreasonable expectation of our users to export all of their GME projects to XME prior to upgrading GME versions, especially when exporting to XME is used to address simply the unavailability of earlier versions of a paradigm.

    GME distributes several paradigms as part of its installation.  Most important among these is the MetaGME paradigm that is an essential part of using GME for anything other than projects that use the other distributed paradigms.  It would be relatively straightforward for the MetaGME paradigm to follow the lead of CAPE in supporting migration between paradigm versions, since it is unlikely for this paradigm to incorporate such discontinuties as could not be handled by GME's native upgrading features or simple updaters.

    Why not?!!

    lph
    --
    Larry Howard
    Sr. Research Scientist
    Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Vanderbilt University
    howardlp at isis.vanderbilt.edu   voice: (615) 343-7447 fax: (615) 343-7440




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