Re: subarrays

[Robert Lucas <lucas@iram.fr>]

Dear Steve:

Thanks for your comments !

For this phase of definition of science requirements for ALMA
 Software, we have tried as much as possible to include science
 motivated requirements and avoid software motivated ones, leaving
 those for the design phase. There is no doubt however that object
 oriented technology will be used when designing the software (there
 is a consensus for this in the joint software group, I believe); but
 at the level of requirements this kind of language should be avoided,
 so that at least this first report can be understood by astronomers
 and engineers, not only software-oriented people. I would say you're
 one step ahead already.

Furthermore, I'd personnally like objects to be only software objects.
 At the interactive level the operator/astronomer does not need to
 know much of the underlying detail. 

As for sub-subarrays, my question would be: for which use ? 

Also I tend to put more emphasis than you do on the readability of
 scripts for human beings. For instance instead of

obsobj.transfer(what=[antlist=[1,2]],action='transfer',where=otherobsobj)

I think most would like to type, say:

transfer antennas 1 2 to subarray B

which would save me the typing of 4='s, one () pair, two [] pairs, not
 to mention ''. Which I think improves human readability. 

Best regards

Robert

-- 
Robert LUCAS,            Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique
300 rue de la Piscine,  F-38406 St Martin d'Heres Cedex   (FRANCE)
Tel +33 (0)4 76 82 49 42                  Fax +33 (0)4 76 51 59 38 
E-mail: mailto:lucas@iram.fr                http://iram.fr/~lucas/
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 16:22:31 +0100 (MET)
To: lucas@iram.fr