PaPCo, Das2, and Autoplot Jeremy Faden, University of Iowa

PaPCo Developed 1993 to present Software modules plug-in to provide graphical science products in panels. Modules can also define slices. Platform on Polar for inter-instrument science analysis, (my module was for Hydra)‏ Server-side graphics engine for MapsView, Cassini inter-instrument analysis Currently funded to support Cluster analysis.

PaPCo Cluster effort included: Clean it up and get it working reliably (PaPCo 11)‏ Factor out common codes. (PaPCo 11)‏ – Lots of boilerplate code removed, increasing consistency and maintainability – Introduce new components like “file caches” with tool to manage local and remote data

PaPCo Lower the learning curve for end users and developers (PaPCo 12) ‏ – Ease installation process – More conventional GUI: menu bar, fewer buttons – Alternate layout indicator – improve printing Introduce “data abstraction layer” (or data model)‏ – Developers get their data into this model. – Data plotting and export code is trivial. – Many of the modules are being rewritten to use this data model.

Das2 Developed 2002-present with PaPCo in mind Java-based, “installationless” applications  Clients click on a link and software starts without installation procedure  Doesn’t require IDL license to run  Java 1.5 is freely available and often comes installed with the desktop OS.  Standard graphics components are used to render data.  Spectrograms  Symbols and Lines

Das2 Highly Interactive – Drag a range on an axis to zoom in – Horizontal and Vertical Slices of Spectrograms – “Mouse Modules” plug in additional functionality such as length, display data, or digitizing Object-Oriented – Applications are built quickly by connecting components – Using common components reduces learning curve and means fewer bugs

Das2 Das2 is very flexible for use in applications  Spectrogram→ semi-automated digitizing→ data product However, new applications require new code Autoplot addresses this:  Can read data from many sources  Very configurable  Configurations can be stored

Autoplot Autoplot is a general-purpose Das2 application for looking at data in various forms on the web Utilitize existing data resources Common data abstractions are adapted to uniform model via plug-in modules:  CDF files (CDAWeb)‏  CEF files (Cluster Active Archive)‏  Other models: NetCDF, OpenDAP, Fits  Ascii and binary tables  Excel spreadsheets

Autoplot URIs Autoplot has an address bar where the name of a data URI is entered. – file:///home/jbf/data/datafile.cdf?density file:///home/jbf/data/datafile.cdf?density Use files and HTTP/FTP to move data. – – Automatic file aggregation $Y$m$d_v$v.dat – Anyone can publish URIs may also be for Web API's such as OpenDAP and Cluster Active Archive Data URIs provide a compact way to refer to data sets.

Autoplot Working towards a PaPCo-like tool – Multi-panel – Save/Load Undo/Redo – Data sources provide GUIs (which create URIs)‏ – Export data to common models such as ASCII tables and CDF files.

Autoplot Generalization of PaPCo  Allow for shifted time axes, overviews  Correlation plots  Slices are just another panel on the page Data model is central Start with data files, work our way up to more abstract data sources (e.g. CAA)‏ Provides data to IDL, Matlab  Data URI→Numbers  (Autoplot-based PaPCo module is coming)‏

Autoplot Python Scripting – Python-based language similar to IDL unit-aware operators “Vector operations” of IDL are now “Data Set” operations – Combine data, such as Beta from density, temperature, and B field mag.‏ – Batch processing – Add features, such as digitizing workflow

Autoplot - MVC Autoplot was designed to support thick and thin- client applications “Thick” client is runs on the desktop, without internet access “Thin” clients use Autoplot on the server side to render graphics Unsigned applets supported ViRBO's server uses all three modes

thanks!