The presentation of ProR and RMF at the ReConf in Munich this week was well received.  We got plenty of constructive feedback both from real and potential users, as well as from contributors.

We pledged to create a snapshot build every two months, and we will now focus on getting the March snapshot ready.  The focus of that snapshot is threefold:

• Improve the usability of the GUI
• Activate the new core
• Migrate documentation

First, we are keenly aware that the ProR user interface still has a number of issues.  The user interface represents the “face” of RMF, and is often the first contact,  We want a good first impression, and this is clearly not the case right now. We will organize a three-day “mini-sprint” at the University of Düsseldorf, specifically to work on GUI and usability.  To make the most of this, we need your help:

• If you have GUI-related feature requests, please check out the roadmap for the March iteration in the Eclipse wiki.  You’ll find instructions on how to add your requests.  If you are unsure, you can also discuss your issues in the forum or on the dev mailing list.  Or you can just email me, if you prefer.
• For actual bugs, please submit it to Bugzilla.  Again, you can just email me, if you prefer.
• We could accommodate guests for the sprint.  If you are interested in this, please contact me. The sprint is planned for March 26th – 28th.
   

Second, Mark has been working hard on implementing a new core.  So far we used the core implemented by Nirmal. Nirmal did a fabulous job, but the code was quite complex, as it was realized using two models and a transformation from one to the other.  This created some headaches in particular when handling <ANY>-elements, which are used for XTHML and tool extensions.  Mark reimplemented the core, leveraging his experience from Autosar. This should make maintenance easier and improve performance further.

And last, we are also aware that the documentation is in bad shape.  First it was out of date, and currently it is inaccessible.  The objective of the sprint is to improve the software, so the improvements to documentation will be limited for now.  Please be assured that documentation is a long-term issue for us.

We hope to get plenty of constructive feedback from you on how to make ProR better.

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net