Version 4.0.0

Post date: Jan 23, 2013 10:17:50 PM

• Version 4.0.3, 18 Feb 2013: Release includes additional minor changes to the new PortalBuilder.

  • • (PB) Modified handling of block iteration over collection-type data. If a single configuration group is enabled for block iteration over 2 or more collection-type sets, and the sizes of the injected collections in the current instance vary, then the "iteration range" is now defined as the maximum observed size rather than the minimum. This ensures that one can "see" all of the data in the different collection sets via iteration, even though the smaller collections will have some empty subsets for iteration blocks near the end of the range.

• • (PB) Weakened the definition of compatibility between a target view's instance configuration and the configuration stored in an instance batch file (.dvb). The two configurations must still must have the same number of groups, but corresponding groups need only be compatible instead of identical. Two groups are compatible if they have identical attribute lists and the same number of placeholder data sets, with each placeholder in one group having the same ID and data format as its partner in the other group. Omitted in this compatibility check are the configuration group names and iteration block sizes, as well as a placeholder's "iterate" flag.

    • (PB) Modified the workflow for constructing a hub navigation view. You still create the view in the hub browser, but you only need specify the title, description, and template figure for the view. Then, open the view in the navigation view browser and revise its definition -- including the instance configuration. You can freely modify all aspects of the view's definition so long as there is no instance data associated with it. Once the view has instance data, the view browser will not allow you to change the instance configuration -- except for the group names and iteration parameters -- to ensure it remains consistent with the existing data.

  • Version 4.0.2, 13 Feb 2013: Release includes additional minor changes to the new PortalBuilder.

    • • (PB) Updated the Matlab dn_vibatch() function to support overwriting an existing view instance batch file, so that you can reuse the same file over and over without it growing in size each time. Invoke dn_vibatch( 'loadAndReset', filePath ) from your script.

      • (PB) It is now possible to delete selected view data instances from a hub navigation view in the "view browser" component. Clicking on the "Remove..." button in a configuration group panel raises a pop-up list that lets the author delete: (1) the current data instance displayed for the target configuration group; (2) all data instances targeting that group; (3) all instances in the group for which the first search tag is assigned its current displayed value (and similarly for the group's other search attributes); or (4) discard the view's ENTIRE instance list. 

      • (PB) Remove the "remove stale content and compact hub" operation that was introduced in V4.0.1. This is really an implementation-specific detail, and it is now handled behind the scenes at appropriate times (such as when a hub is copied or exported).

  • Version 4.0.1, 06 Feb 2013: Release includes minor changes primarily to the new PortalBuilder, in response to user feedback.

    • • (PB, FC) Minor cosmetic changes: New icons for the buttons that add, remove, and activate/deactivate a hub in PB's hub vault browser. Distinct application icons and splash screens for PB and FC.

      • (PB) It is now possible to delete a hub permanently from your portal; if the hub has any views in it, a popup dialog will warn user that the operation is irreversible. You can also still deactivate a hub instead of removing it.

      • (PB) Refinement in view instance data batch file loading: When PB detected a duplicate instance in the batch file -- i.e., an instance with the same configuration group and search tag values as an existing instance in the view --, it would simply ignore that instance and skip to the next one in the batch file. But there may be times when the author actually wants to "overwrite" existing instance. Now PB gives the user more control over the process. When a duplicate is detected, a pop-up dialog asks the user what to do with it: skip the current instance, overwrite the existing instance with the duplicate, skip all duplicates; overwrite all; or cancel the batch-file load altogether.

      • (PB) New operations are available in the "vault browser" view. You can now copy a hub; remove stale content and compact the underlying persistence store for a hub; export a hub to a ZIP archive; or import a hub from a (compatible) ZIP archive. The latter operations will be useful if you want to backup a hub on another file system, transfer the hub to another computer, or share it with another researcher.

  • Version 4.0.0, 23 Jan 2013: (PB, FC) Initial release of re-designed PortalBuilder, and other minor changes.

    • • (PB) PortalBuilder 4.0.0 introduces major changes in the structure of a data hub and how the hub's author populates that hub with data. The hub data repository is more opaque to both authors and readers than it was in prior versions. The repository no longer has an explicit hierarchical structure. Instead, meta-data is attached to data as it is pushed into the hub, in the form of search tag-value pairs like subject="dopey", date="01nov2012", condition="after learning", and so on. Authors can focus entirely on constructing one hub view at a time, loading the data instances (along with the unique search tag-value pairs labeling each instance) displayable in that view. Practically speaking, view data instances are prepared by a custom Matlab script with the help of the utility function dn_vibatch(), which prepares a view instance batch file that can then be processed by PortalBuilder. This new release is for test and evaluation only. There is no support yet for interacting with a remote portal at this time; users can only construct and browse data hubs maintained within their private DataNav workspace directory on the host machine. In addition, almost all references in the user guide refer to the prior incarnation of the portal apps (PortalBuilder, PortalServer, and PortalViewer). A short introduction to PB4 is available on the Download page in the Version 4.0.0 folder.

      • (FC) Minor change to the Export... feature in FigureComposer. When exporting a figure to an image file format (JPEG or PNG), the previous version saved the image with the same resolution ("dots per inch", or DPI) as the screen. If you then tried to enlarge the image, it might look fuzzy or blocky. It is better to start out with a higher-resolution image in the first place. Now, FigureComposer exports to an image file using a default resolution of 300 dpi. A future version may allow the user to choose the DPI, if there's enough user interest.

      • (all) The Google site that presents this online guide was moved from a personal Google account to the srscicomp.com domain: https://sites.google.com/a/srscicomp.com/datanav.