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Splitting Under Into Components
The suggestion is made that Under be split into components that can be offered for sale as stand-alone appliactions.
Overview of the Problem
Colors has already been split off as both a Word and a PowerPoint application.
Caledar was brought in three years ago after being a separate stand-alone application!
The advantages are obvious: Users will download a small application that performs a specific function, but are probably going to be overwhelmed by something that supplies over 640 macros.
As well, bringing Under up to scratch as a complete unit will take too much time and may never be completed.
The disadvantage is to the developer: Some of the code is intertwined. A simple example is the Publics module where are stored constants that are used across the appliaction. The Publics modue should be split with a portion being supplied to each module, but many constants are shared, so even that job is daunting.
Finding a bug in code common to several sub-appliactions means that the fix must be applied to all sub-appliacations using that code. The code could be parked in UW.dot, but code that is common only to Under ought not be parked in UW.dot?
A potential solution is the use of compile-time constants to direct whether or not a module’s code is to be included in the final template, but this suggests that the disabled code will be present and will lead to bloat.
How Quickly Could this Be Achieved?
Piecemeal.
A separate utility library can be assembled UndeL.dot into which common code is dumped.
The general library Uw.dot will suffer continual enhancement as the more common procedures are detected.
A procedure for creating a web site for each of the 10 applications that will result will have an attractive and standardized look.
We could do the “Easy and popular” types first; Calendar seems an obvious choice, Toolbars, Files, Styles.
It should be possible to re-partition Calendar and institute the initial version of UndeL, build the web site and augment DLGuard all in one long day of work.
That done, each of Toolbars, Files and Styles should take not more than one day.
What is the Goal?
Our goal is to strip Under into its component parts and make each part available as a paid download from DLGuard.
Our acceptance test is the first non-friendly paid download of a part.
Will Under Still Be Available?
Why not.
A full package OUGHT to be possible by providing UndeL and the modules from each of the component parts.
Other Difficulties
The GUI forms for the environment !B, !P and !T currently accumulate parameters into groups. Some component parts require no patrameters; some parts currently share space on an the environment GUI.
Toolbars is the only resident of !B; Headers and TextGen share !P; Tables, Envelopes and Headers share !T.
Plan of Action
Freeze all development of Under while any module is being split off.
Review oustanding items in the WhatFAQ.
Create a folder, WhatFAQ and web pages for each Group in term
Grouping
| Group | Type | Modules of Under.dot |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Calendar | XCalen |
| (2) | Content | XBookMarks |
| (2) | Content | XFrames |
| (2) | Content | XGraphics |
| (3) | Files | XFiles |
| (4) | Information) | Definitions |
| (4) | Information | XInfo |
| (5) | Page | XHeaders |
| (5) | Page | XPageLayout |
| (6) | Sort | XBlanks |
| (6) | Sort | XDuplicate |
| (6) | Sort | XEmpties |
| (6) | Sort | XSort |
| (7) | Styles | XNumbering |
| (7) | Styles | XStyles |
| (8) | Table | XTable |
| (8) | Table | XTableCell |
| (8) | Table | XTableColumns |
| (8) | Table | XTableRows |
| (9) | Text | XEnvelopes |
| (9) | Text | XTextChange |
| (9) | Text | XTextFormat |
| (9) | Text | XTextGen |
| (10) | Toolbars | XToolbars |
| n/a | Publics | |
| n/a | Stats | |
| n/a | XEnvironment | |
| n/a | XUtilities |
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Saturday, November 21, 2009 5:56 AM
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