Quixotic

I’ve made a lot of progress abstracting out OL Architect and I’ve come up with a more extensive and detailed roadmap.  After seeing how incredibly useful OLON will be, I’ve revised my original plan a bit to incorporate it and updated some of the project’s goals.
My original plan was the following:

Project Roadmap
Step 1. Collect Underpants
Step 2. …
Step 3. Profit

Err, wrong project…

Project Roadmap

1. Gather suggestions, improve ideas, and gain further knowledge of the inner workings of both OpenLayers andExtJS. Begin coding by the end of May.

2. Implement features in the following order:

-Create a format for the configuration file
-Develop a web interface incorporating ExtJS
-Implement various map specific features previously mentioned (Resizing, placement, and themeing of various map components)
-Create an easy to use layer configuration system
-Integrate saving / loading of configuration file
-Create and implement themes and theme selection system
-Tie up any loose ends
-I will attempt to implement every feature, however, if a feature is not fully working I will attempt to make it at least “usable”

3. Test and debug. Testing will be done upon the completion of each individual feature, and the entire project will undergo a thorough debugging process by both myself and the community. Everything should be completed at the end of August.

(My full proposal can be viewed at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddpxp825_4c2n67jcf )

It’s near the end of May, so it’s almost time to start coding (after this weekend…maybe during it, depending on how ambitious I feel).  I’m going to hammer out and finalize the details of the project over the weekend, and dive into the code on Tuesday.  After messing with OLON for the past few days, I’ve developed a more solid plan to implement it in my project.

Revised Project Roadmap

1.Save serialization to an XML file

2. Integrate OLON with OL Architect
-Add serialize properties to various classes (such as Control)
-Every aspect of the map must be replicated, including configuration the map itself, the layers, controls, etc.
-Create a test map and serialize it, save and format the output to an XML file
-Retrieve the data and generate a new map that will replicate the original one based on the XML file

3. Create the web interface
-Design the site
-Upload site sketches / site diagrams
-Create a mock up
-Incorporate ExtJS into the mock up
-Finalize the mock up
-Complete the site design – ensure everything is accounted for

By the midterm examination, all the previous steps should be done, along with at least the first part of Step 4.

4. Implement features (most likely in the following order).
-Ability to create, move and resize boxes that represent parts of the overall map (such as the map itself, toolbars, controls, etc).
-Map
-Map options, map sizes, etc.
-Layer
-Individual layer options, layer orders, etc.
-Controls
-List the controls and allow the user to add and remove controls on the fly, as well as the ability to add and remove controls from toolboxes (panels), the configuration of controls, etc.
-Save / Load
-Most the hard work will have already been done in Step 1.

5. Use PHP to read the XML file and generate a Javascript file based on the configuration
-Provide the user with the generated Javascript file and the necessary
-
map goes here!

6. Polish everything up

7. If there is time, develop themes and custom colors for the site. If not, work on this after GSoC ends

8. Debug and test

9. Done

Right now I’m working on saving and loading the output of the OLON serializiation, and I don’t suspect that it will take more than a 2 – 3 weeks to finish both Step 1 and 2.  I’ll post an update at the beginning of next week.