Re: Newbie to xPL

["Tom Van den Bon" <tvdbon@xxxxxxxxx>]

> I heartily welcome any info/effort you want to make on that front
and if you
> want to share it, would be very happy to include it in the base
distribution.
I'll send you more as soon as I have something more concrete.

> changed.  Some folks don't like it because the feel it's too slow or
memory
> hungry -- conditions which are basically not the case in later
version (1.5
> or 1.6).  Some didn't like the Java UI, though xPL4Java doesn't use
that,
> and again, starting in Java 1.5 and later, there have been huge
strides
> toward making the UI responsive and as "native" looking as
possible.
>
> I'm not trying to be pushy, just thought I'd make a few points :-)

It has been a couple of years since I worked/played on it, so I'll
give it a shot and see how the programs run and perform. I don't
really believe in the "its slow and memory hungry" beliefs that
most
people have, but like you said it has come a long way. I'll let you
know what I think once I tried it.


> I guess I look at it like this -- you have a lot of really great
ideas, but
> re-writing the scripting engine is going to take a *lot* of time to
do it
> right.  The scripting engine is there and available now and you
don't have
> to do any Java coding -- why not leverage off that and add on from
there or
> create all the other nifty xPL apps you've mentioned vs. going back
and
> re-inventing?
>
> That said, I've done the reinventing thing myself more than a few
times when
> it wasn't technically completely necessary because I wanted to do
something
> slightly different or just wanted to exercise my skills.  So please
take the
> above as a note, not a suggestion/demand/etc :-)  If you really do
want to
> create your own engine, more power to you!

True, I don't like re-inventing that much, but another reason I want
to this is to learn more about linux programming and some other
programming concepts involved with writing something like this, so its
not just the java thing, but like I said, I'll have a go and let you
know ;)

>
> > (a) a webinterface using php interfacing with the server, but
then you
> > don't really have realtime updates
>
> Either would be nice, but pulling off a web interface would be a bit
> sweeter, if it works for you.

Personally I'd prefer the web interface too, there is just more
possibilities that way, accessing the web interface from a pc,
pocketpc, phone, etc.

>
> > What does the xPL->UPB do ? I'm not sure what UPB means?
>
> UPB is a HA lighting control system.  It's comparable in concept to
X10, but
> is much more powerful, full bi-directional and just about 100%
reliable
> (every command is ACKd by the receiving devices, messages are check

This actually sounds pretty cool. I've never even heard of it. I've
recently started with a bit of x10, and I've gotten some of the
hardware, but I'm still just playing and testing it.

> xPLIO, but I would go with your gut to create a K8000 xPL specific
module as
> that will have a much more native/compatible feel to it.

The advantage I've got here is that I already got most of the code for
interfacing it to the k8000 (previous university project) so it's just
a matter of changing it to talk xPL. I should have most of this up and
running by monday.

> So you can do much of it outside the framework, but it's the sort of
thing
> that really should be done by the framework since the idea is the
framework
> takes a lot of "common" chores (like responding to requests
for
> configurables) off your plate.   Let me see if I can free up some
time this
> weekend to get configuration support finished.

That would be brilliant, but no pressure ;)

Thanks for all the great advice and tips so far, you have helped alot.

Regards,
Tom (vdb)