Development Roadmap
Welcome to the MOOSE Browser Client development Roadmap. For up-to-the-minute answers to frequently-asked questions, click Here

The best types of Roadmaps contain historical notes and tips on points of interest. The Roadmap must keep integrating the present as it passes, or it soon becomes useless. It records design decisions their rationales.  Such a Roadmap reflects unforeseen terrain unexpected  inventions as they emerge, rather than starting from some (unrealistic) fixed architecture and proceeding through mundane implementation.
Brief History
This first version of a roadmap is occurring somewhat late in the development cycle.  The hope is to keep this process up to date on a regular basis as new ideas come to bear on the project.  A lot of great work has already occurred (and is occurring) in the development process.  More and more functions are being set up to run autonomously and be less dependent on other chunks of code.   This allows for a very flexible system of components that can be integrated at the developers’ leisure to achieve just the right client Interface.
Where we're Going
We're on our fourth iteration of the Code base, five if you count my ancient and anemic code that started it all.  We now have a much more flexible code base, learning from the previous versions about what works and what doesn't.  The new layout components are the most flexible to date functionally.  The road ahead better supports the business needs of not just Public Works but other Departments in the City as well. Development of the code base has all but ceased for previous versions of MOOSE. 

Moving more operations related to data upkeep to the owners is a primary goal of the development team.  Automating these tasks for the data keepers is a high priority in the development Process.  MOOSE2 started us down the path of letting the owners manage their respective datasets with few requirements, MOOSE3 will put more power and control into those hands.

The new server hardware will provide for much more reliability of service than the old (not that we've had that many problems with it) and ramps up the entire system as a City Wide Production Service.
Re-Introduction
This document will serve as a narrative roadmap for the MOOSE Browser Client development.  It won't be a schedule, although schedules should be attempted that refer to the ideas and problems recorded and projected here.  It will list the Rules and Design Principles we'd like to employ, to build on the value of the existing MOOSE interface, and its modularity.  Major items of work will be listed.  And it'll be updated over time.

Nothing (apart from the history) in this roadmap should be taken as irrevocable.  Although we try to avoid unduly revisiting decisions, we welcome all developer comments and corrections.  Much of the work done to date has a measure of controversy behind it.  Just pass us your evidence and reasoning and we the MOOSE designers will change our course and this Roadmap to follow the actual events.
Design Principles
Here are the MOOSE road rules.  Some items listed here are Concrete design decisions.  We think they reflect sound ideas.
MOOSE the Client
MOOSE data warehouse and data owners
MOOSE System
MOOSE Services
Major Work Items
Each of the following constitutes a major Milestone.  This list is not ordered or express dependencies. It shall be refined to include Sub-Tasks and missing items of work.  For now it's a rough list of projected things I think we'll be doing in the next few months.

MOOSE Client(s)
MOOSE data warehouse
MOOSE System and Data Owners
MOOSE Services




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Updated: Nov 2, 2006

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