[Kde-print-devel] [GSoC2007 openprinting.org] Update 13 July 2007

[Gavin Beatty]

I have once again seen fit to refactor most of my code due to a design issue. 
Currently, the code does not quite work. It compiles but there are some 
issues (though all the building blocks, I am happy with now):

 -  I have a KIO::get outside the main GUI thread so progress notifications
    (at least) don't work
 -  I have all the signals/slots etc. necessary to get up the driver XML
    parsing (not done but v. v. easy) but they aren't connected. Basically,
    the program has all the pieces but they aren't put together yet

These are easy to resolve. I believe I am getting better at the design phase 
(for which I sorely underestimated the amount of time I should spend). Some 
of these issues are to do with learning how to use KIO, KDEPrint, more 
advanced aspects of Qt/KDE than I knew before, ThreadWeaver, QThreads and all 
the other wonderful things I've learned, sequentially so that pieces needed 
rewriting often.

I will be leaving for London tomorrow afternoon and returning on Sunday 
afternoon. As a result I won't be available on Friday or Saturday. I will 
work from the evening time on Sunday.

Cristian: I'm sorry that I didn't give you ANY report of what I would like to 
have finished before Friday. To answer your queries:

- where do you believe you are compared to your schedule;
My work this week has been slower than anticipated. I have not completed the 
Driver XML download/parse (1 days work) or the device-id magic using KDEPrint 
(unknown how long, depends on how quickly that part of KDEPrint is 
understood).

- how is stage two of your work advancing;
Due to the slow week (with regard to increase in functionality), phase 2 
(meaning work on installing the driver and on the interface) hasn't begun. I 
have a design of the interface (sketches) which I will post to the list next 
week. No code yet.

- are you OK with the level of complexity of KDEPrint code, and do you easily 
get accustomed to it;
The level of complexity is not bad. I have started tentative apidox of the 
project and am marking classes which should have _p.h extension etc. The 
biggest hurdle is separation of the outside interface with the private 
helpers. It's a very nice hunk of code though. A lesson to me on excellent 
design!

- how do you feel about your project in general up to now;
I feel like I very much like KDE development. There's a very nerdy part of me 
that loves semantic tags! In all seriousness, I am quite happy with the 
direction of my project and what has been achieved. I am disappointed in 
myself for my lack of a stricter design. This has wasted over a week of 
project time without overestimating. I have begun using pen and paper again 
to formulate ideas and stick to them and feel like this has been a major 
learning experience for me. In the wasted hours I now see where I went wrong 
and bar amnesia I can't see myself making most of the same mistakes again. 
Overall I'm very happy with my choice of project. Apart from "plasmoids" or 
whatever they are being called these days I feel like I have learned how to 
use most of the quite sexy parts of KDE4. I'm really happy to be 
participating and think I'll stay on after my project finished. Perhaps I'll 
even become a design boffin just to spite my former, ignorant self ;)


Thanks,
Gavin


-- 
Gavin Beatty

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