Older blog entries for alvaro (starting at number 31)

After some more coding in the Planner backend for Evo, this morning I decide to create a test plan and do the test for the actual alpha4 release of the code.

You can consult the results and see in which point the backend is currently.

Not sure if I will use the plan in new versions as regression tests, I will need more time and don't have it, but have been very useful this time to see the next things to do.

The motivation to do it has been that next Weekend we have a GNOME developers meeting in Pamplona and I want to show the backend. Now I have a clear picture for all the work done and also the TODO for next days.

This morning I have tested a little GnoTime. I think it could be nice to have it integrated with Evolution and Planner, but for the moment, I will test it a little more. The Project and Tasks concepts aren't very clear in the UI and I need more time to understand how they are used. It has some nice features as an editor for blogging the project development. GnoTime is the best tool to control the real time invest in each Project but the person using it needs to be very disciplined and also, the data for the tool should be kept private for the worker, using the manager only final results.

About the project status, last release was in 22 May 2004 and it has being in SF for 2 years. The size of the project is:

Totals grouped by language (dominant language first):
ansic:        33244 (75.61%)
sh:            8229 (18.72%)
perl:          2050 (4.66%)
yacc:           184 (0.42%)
lisp:           139 (0.32%)
lex:            123 (0.28%)

I found GnoTime to be a little overfeatured and needs some polish in the UI and in the concepts in the tool ...

Today I have started to work in modification tasks in Evolution from a Planner project. Finally the Project Planner concept is in Evolution a Calendar. In the Calendar you will have all the tasks in the Project with the resources in them.

With the last work you can change tasks from evolution but for the moment, Evolution add a new task whe you modify other task in the task editor. I need to check why. The new task is added to Planner also and save in the Planner file/database.

I have some question to ask before translating all the concepts in Planner to Evolution and also, to close in my mind the full management process, but I feel that we will reach a good end. Things like drag and drop tasks between calendars and sending emails to the task resource when something changes start to show me the powerful of the integration. And also, you can send tasks (todo) as email attachment so for example, you can send the tasks for a week to a person using this system. Several things to think about the best solution to manage projects. It is clear that when you desing the general plan of the project, Planner is the right tool, and to following the progress, Evolution seems to be a good friend. Need to take a close look to GnoTime.

Next things will be to complete the ECalComponent to MrpTask conversion and complete the write support in Evolution. Then, I will check the GUI for adding new calendar sources from Evolution for Planner files.

As always, the link to the backup of the actual state of the backend.

Sweet news about Planner and Evolution integration. After 2 hours of working this morning the Planner Task to ECalComponent conversion has advanced a lot (curious to see that the two files are in 1.4 CVS version ;-)). Now you have in Evolution Task the start and end date, the name of the task, the description, the priority, the percent complete and, learning from the groupwise connector ECalComponent conversion, the atendee list for the task, that could be the resources for the task in Planner. This is a great advance because now I think that for the moment, the resource list for a task could be modeled in Evolution as an atendee list.

As always, the screenshot for the integration. The code is in a "tgz" file only for backup purposes. It isn't clear where this backend will be (e-d-s or planner), but first, we need the babe working completly;-)

The next target will be to change from evolution the data and save it in Planner ;-)

Today we have bought in the company a new Laser printer. We have selected the cheaper one (we were in a hurry) and in Media Markt this morning they have the Samsung ML 1510 for 107€. It comes with drivers for CUPS and the install program changes CUPS filters so that you can use the printer, but they don't backup the changed CUPS files and what they do is a sure problem when you update the CUPS system. First tests has been good. The driver that comes with the printer seems to be a closed one, so not ideal for free software community.

This morning finally I have code for the Planner backend for e-d-s that shows dates from Planner tasks in e-d-s. I need to check carefully how the dates are converted but it seems at first sight to work. Then I will finish adding all the other information for a Task and then, I would like to start working in making the backend writing enabled.

Then, I will need to work in the UI so the user can add a new planner source from the add calendar dialog.

It is time to create a TODO file with all the things I will work in the near future so I don't forget anything and people can give opinion and maybe, help :)

Today I return to my normal way of life after holidays. Yesterday I was working in the Planner backend for Evolution and I am starting to think that we will need also a Contacts backend so the resources in a project can be also imported in Evolution, as a new Contact book, and resources could be assigned to tasks. I am not sure if the same backend could be a Calendar and Contactas backend, or if I will need to sync this two backends.

I am finishing converting from Planner dates to ECalComponent dates. It isn't too hard but you have to do it carefully. I think we use in Planner mrptime that it is like time_t but bigger, but I need to check it.

It is great to hear that Andersca is going to work for Imendio.

I finally make a little better the backup of the system so I don't lose anything. Normally I work in chroots because in my machine I have the Linux Lux distribution that doesn't support GNOME 2.6 development, so I have a chroot with something very similar to Debian sid (LinEx Empresa) to develop with. Now, my HOME is the same in all the environment so I backup all the devel :)

Today I have bought a new laptop for my uncle. She wants a cheap laptop and finally we have found a very nice laptop for 1.199€, the LG LS M50 desktop (not sure 100% about the model). It comes with Windows XP Home preinstalled and I plan to install fro her Mozilla browser and email client, with OpenOffice suite. Also, I will install GNU/Linux in the laptop to test the hardware. I think it has been a great buy. The laptop seems to be very new in the market.

I am very happy. I have modified the CVS e-d-s with the patches and new code that I sent before holidays and now I have a development environment that works very well with last e-d-s, evolution and the planner backend (configure.in patch doesn't work completly with new CVS code, but only minor changes).

I have fixed the first bug I had: reopening the Planner project calendar from Evolution open a new project in Planner and things get confused. Now if a Planner project has been opened one time, it isn't reopened anymore. Things start to work nicely. I have to complete the planner task to evolution component task conversion and start testing more and more everything.

I think the harder time has gone because now I can see all the advance and the integration directly from Planner and Evolution so it is very motivating. Things are going better than I hoped.

If you want to see how the integration will look just take a look.

Yesterday I finally finish my development environment using a special version of Debian Sid using components (LinEx 2004 and LinEx Empresa). Then I take from GNOME CVS Planner, Evolution and Evolution Data Server (e-d-s), compile them and install. Now it is time to recover my backend for e-d-s for Planner and continue working in it so you can access Planner tasks from Evolution.

In the Debian work, my Application Manager have resent me (lost the email in the hard disk lost) the questions for Tasks and Skills Check and I hope next month (maybe 2 or 3 weeks) I finish all the work with my AM.

Next week I start working in LambdaUX another time (I have been working a little this week also). I am very happy to be working in this company.