RiverWare 6.1: Unit Schemes / 8-10-2011 / Status: ready for review.
Unit Schemes: Initial Release Options

1. Remove the "Local Units" unit scheme.
2. Support the "Local Units" unit scheme in one release as a transitional phase.

(1) Remove the "Local Units" unit scheme.

Implications and opportunities:

• Users of existing models would need to define Unit Schemes appropriate for their models right away.
• A "slot units override mode" implementation could "take over" the existing local display attribute configuration fields. The values of these fields would be meaningful only during "slot units override mode". They would be initialized to the display attributes of the currently active scheme (for the slot) when initiating the override.

Additional development for the release would include:

• These slot configuration dialog boxes and "tabs" would need to be revised:
  1. The main Slot Configuration Dialog (for Series and Table Slots: SlotConfigQtDlg).
  2. Periodic Slot Config Dialog (PeriodicSlotCfg),
  3. Scalar Slot Config Dialog (ScalarSlotCfgDlg),
  4. Multiple-Slot Configuration Dialog (aka "Configure Existing Slots" dialog, ConfigSlotsDlg),
  5. Accounting System Configuration Dialog (AccountingSysConfigDlg).
  6. Open Account Dialog, "Units" Tab (OpenAccountDlg).
  7. Exchange Configuration Dialog (ExchangeCfgDlg).
• Design and implementation of a replacement for the old scale & unit "fixup" capability.
• GUI and internal implementation of a "slot units override mode".

(2) Support the "Local Units" unit scheme in one release as a transitional phase.

Implications and opportunities:

• The "Legacy" unit system would remain intact ... just for one release.
• ... but users would have the choice of using a different unit scheme for unit "defaults", e.g. for DMI operations or batch mode operation of Output Devices.
• Consistent with what users currently do, and "slot unit override mode" would be provided basically by forcing the slot into "local units" mode. This does conflict with use of the "local units" as a stable reference unit system -- but current users deal with that now. (And there would be an option to use a different unit scheme as a stable reference unit scheme -- i.e. prior bullet point).
• The currently implemented scale & unit "fixup" capability could remain intact.
• Recommended: when showing a local units configuration dialog or "tab", the user is presented with the option to switch RiverWare to "local units" (see proposal) -- AND -- for single-slot configuration dialogs -- also the option of putting the particular slot in "slot unit override mode".
• Possibly: we could provide a "migration" tool to build a custom unit scheme from configurations on existing objects and accounts. [Estimate: 2 days].

Additional development for the release would include:

• Implementing GUI controls to place a Slot in "slot unit override mode" ... for this release, that would mean forcing just that slot into the "Local Units" unit scheme.

After this initial release, we would proceed with the development steps outlined in section 1 -- for the subsequent release.

In the mean time, users would have the opportunity to see if the mapped Unit Schemes are sufficiently expressive for a complete replacement for the legacy slot-based configurations -- and enhancements could be made accordingly for the subsequent release (which will have no mention of "local units" in the user interface).
 

Both options require these development tasks:

• Minor change to Old-style and Database DMI's to defer to a stable default scheme for default units. (This could, but wouldn't have to involve reconciling Database DMI "Dataset" unit maps with unit schemes -- see image).
• Some enhancement to Unit Scheme matching rules to support Slot "names" on Data Objects (or some way of supporting the actual requirement) -- See Three Options.

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