dhis2-devs team mailing list archive

[Knut Staring <knutst@xxxxxxxxx>]

Interesting discussion on R and GIS integration from the OpenXdata list.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Raghu Mittal <raghu.mittal@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 11:27 AM
Subject: [openXdata-dev] Re: [openXdata-users] Proposal to review the
reporting functionality in OpenXdata
To: openxdata-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: openxdata-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Hi Dagmar
Just wanted to clarify. Analytics also uses reports in the same way as
GIS does, it looks at the reports table and when you run a particular
report, it executes the SQL query associated with that report and
loads the data into the R workspace, from where it can be used for
doing analysis.
Regards
Raghu
On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 2:37 PM, Dagmar Timler <diggitydugs@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi
> From what I understand the GIS component is not using a service layer to access OXD reporting features, but rather leveraging the database schema by directly querying report tables. And it isn't clear to us, from the code, how Analytics is using reporting. Perhaps this is a great discussion for the weekly developers chat?
> I think we are ok with leaving Reporting as is for the robustness release.
> Regards
> Dagmar
>
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 10:01 AM, Jørn Ivar Klungsøyr <Jorn.Klungsoyr@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanx Shashank for the clarifications.
>>
>>
>>
>> Reports in openxdata admin is not the same as BIRT - only display of a report requires BIRT.
>>
>>
>>
>> The GIS and Analytics do NOT depend on BIRT, but they depend on the reports management part within openxdata.
>>
>>
>>
>> In GIS and Analytics it was purposely decided to use reports - and that part works without even having BIRT setup on the machine. So for those two - reports are used  as an integrated and simple means of selecting what data to either map or to analyze.
>>
>>
>>
>> The current reporting feature of openXdata admin allows a user to define a query for a dataset that he or she wishes to AND after having created this query - it can be passed to BIRT to show some simple graphs.
>>
>>
>>
>> Creating analytics and mapping for openXdata could have been done in many ways.
>>
>> However they both needed a simple way of creating different datasets for different purposes.
>>
>> Reports was the obvious place to look as it gave the functionality needed.
>>
>>
>>
>> There are many much much more pressing issues and real errors to solve than to spend time on discussing and removing something that actually works just fine (with limited functionalities) after an initial setup.
>>
>>
>>
>> Leave reports as they are - until there is alternative and improved implementation available (:=
>>
>>
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Jørn
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________________________
>> Jorn Klungsoyr
>> openXdata - Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway
>> www.openxdata.org / www.cih.uib.no / www.openrosa.org / www.open-mobile.org
>> Mobile: +4791365731, Office: +4755588574, Skype/GoogleTalk: jornklung Alternative email: jorn.klungsoyr@xxxxxxxxx
>> Post: Postboks 7800, 5020 Bergen, Visit: Årstadveien 21, 5th Floor, Bergen
>>                        ------¤¤¤¤------
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: Shashank Garg [mailto:garg.shashank@xxxxxxxxx]
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 9:35 AM
>>
>> To: openxdata-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Cc: openxdata-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Shashank Garg; Jørn Ivar Klungsøyr
>> Subject: Re: [openXdata-dev] Re: [openXdata-users] Proposal to review the reporting functionality in OpenXdata
>>
>>
>>
>> Mark,
>>
>> We have discussed this in great detail with Jørn who wanted Analytics and GIS to work through Reports for which there were strong reasons.
>>
>> First of all, let me discuss the issue of BIRT being unilaterally withdrawn at this late stage. There is a deadline for us to deliver a pre-release version of Analytics and GIS because this functionality is now required by Aamir in Pakistan from tomorrow. So there is a real user requirement. Secondly, we were told by Jørn to use the Report feature in OXD for Analytics and GIS. So that is what has been done.
>>
>> On the other hand, we always had our own opinion on it and felt it essential to think of a search-like interface which we have implemented and tested. This is probably because we do have access to actual users on a regular basis. However, Jørn was not too keen on this approach and we have consequently withdrawn development effort on it and the Report interface is now being used.
>>
>> Of course, the optional interface that we implemented for Analytics is still available if the general consensus is that it should be available. It might require some additional effort as it was set aside on Jørn's request. Alternatively, something other approach can be implemented once there is consensus on it.
>>
>> So, for the present, you will have to take this issue up with him. As far as we are concerned, we have both options available and do not see this as a good or bad design issue as you have so casually put it.
>>
>> But yes, I entirely agree with you that it might be time for everyone else to contribute to the Analytics and GIS debate. We have regularly reported status of Analytics on the dev chat but there hasn't been any effort from anyone else to engage on this debate. I guess there were other priorities.
>>
>> In any case, I wouldn't use comments like good design and bad design very lightly.
>>
>> I hope I have made myself clear but will be happy to clarify further, should it be so required.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Shashank
>> _____________________________________________________________
>> Shashank Garg
>> CEO
>> Handheld Solutions & Research Labs [HANDSREL]
>> 36, 20th Main 1st Cross, 1st Stage BTM Layout, Bangalore - 560068 [India]
>> Email: shashank.garg@xxxxxxxxxxxx, garg.shashank@xxxxxxxxx
>> URL: http://handsrel.com/
>>
>> 2007-Fellow, Digital Vision Program, Stanford University
>> ______________________________________________________________
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 12:28 PM, Mark Gerard <cattabanks@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Shashank/Jorn,
>>
>>
>>
>> I must say that using the reporting module (reporting specific code) to build analytics and GIS is a bad design concept. You are tightly coupling GIS/analytics to the reporting module. This means that if reporting is not working, GIS/Analytics will fail and yet they are supposed to me modular/independent.
>>
>>
>>
>> What is hard building your own analytics/GIS module that has its own API calls different from reporting? I am not sure we even discussed the analytics/GIS design (which we probably should do on the dev chat).
>>
>>
>>
>> RE: There are many alternatives being used right now. You can use jasper or even BIRT itself.
>>
>> The idea is that we remove it from OpenXdata for the upcoming release and until we make it robust enough, then we can return it.
>>
>>
>>
>> -Mark
>>
>>
>>
>> From: openxdata-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:openxdata-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shashank Garg
>> Sent: 14 September 2010 05:07
>>
>> To: openxdata-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> Cc: Shashank Garg
>>
>> Subject: Re: [openXdata-dev] Re: [openXdata-users] Proposal to review the reporting functionality in OpenXdata
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi Mark,
>>
>> Please do not remove Reports without providing an alternative. You may not know it but both GIS and Analytics use Reports to generate the data-sets on which further processing is done.
>>
>> Jonny, Analytics does use Reports.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Shashank
>> _____________________________________________________________
>> Shashank Garg
>> CEO
>> Handheld Solutions & Research Labs [HANDSREL]
>> 36, 20th Main 1st Cross, 1st Stage BTM Layout, Bangalore - 560068 [India]
>> Email: shashank.garg@xxxxxxxxxxxx, garg.shashank@xxxxxxxxx
>> URL: http://handsrel.com/
>>
>> 2007-Fellow, Digital Vision Program, Stanford University
>> ______________________________________________________________
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 5:43 AM, Jonny Heggheim <jonny.heggheim@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Jørn!
>>
>> > Both GIS and Analytics are basing it on reports, so removing that would be
>> > a major step backwards for these two parts that are both getting close to
>> > a working condition.
>>
>> Analytics do not depend on reports.
>>
>>
>> Jonny
>>
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-- 
Cheers,
Knut Staring