NOBUGS 2004 Conference

New Opportunities for Better User Group Software

October, 18-20, 2004 at PSI, Switzerland


Abstract Submitted for NOBUGS2004

Convergence or Divergence on Software Tools

Ron Ghosh

      Convergence or Divergence on Software Tools

At the first NoBugs, Grenoble 1996, attendees completed questionnaires
summarising their current electronics, systems and software, with
modest predictions on the potential changes envisaged over the
following two years.

Today the variety of electronics and systems has been reduced
by market forces.  Intelligent data acquisition and data
treatment are still far from being integrated.  Sophisticated
ab initio modelling computation is performed most easily by
acquiring systems matching that of the developers; network
access and client-server tools make these generally available.

There remains today the major problem of dealing with elderly
but well-tested legacy programs, typically running under Unix
(now including Linux and Macintosh OS-X), whilst the current
generation of scientists, especially occasional users, would
prefer a PC-Windows solution.  Newer applications have taken
to the path of using commercial packages, which offer
system independence at a price; this contraint alone is
sufficient to limit community activities due to the costs
involved.

The NoBugs meeting is a fine forum to review this problem
and discuss guidelines for directing software development
towards a selection of recommended tools. 


Abstract File: abstract00099.txt

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