[NeXus-tech] Fwd: follow-up from our discussion today

[Pete R. Jemian]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: follow-up from our discussion today
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:56:07 -0500
From: Chris Jacobsen <chris.j.jacobsen at gmail.com>
To: Jemian Pete <jemian at anl.gov>
CC: De Carlo Francesco <decarlo at aps.anl.gov>,        Saunders Claude 
<saunders at aps.anl.gov>,        Schwarz Nicholas <nschwarz at aps.anl.gov>

Hi Pete -

Please feel free to forward this message to your NeXus code camp people.

I really enjoyed the chance to have a dialogue with the NeXus people 
today.  I attach my slides.  I was not shy in pointing out what I have 
perceived to be shortcomings in making use of NeXus, and I fully realize 
that some of my criticisms are based as much on ignorance as on problems 
with NeXus.  However, as I said before, I have tried a few times - first 
when doing the programming myself a few years ago, and more recently in 
working with Francesco De Carlo, Claude Saunders, and Nicholas Schwartz 
- and in each instance I have stepped away from NeXus because of 
problems in getting the API to work on several platforms and languages, 
and on the sheer length of the documentation making it appear to be 
hopelessly complex.  As I said, I have figured out netCDF and HDF5 on my 
own, with no problems in installing libraries, so while one can argue 
about the percentage I can at least say that I'm not 100% incompetent.

It sounds to me like NeXus is gradually increasing its adoption at 
facilities where a computer support group plays a strong role in writing 
the code to save experimental data. Where it has made less inroads is at 
beamlines where a scientist is bashing out code on a part-time basis. 
So how can one make it to their advantage for people like that to adapt 
NeXus? (Because that's the only way they'll use it - if they see 
advantages). Here are a few thoughts:
1. Make it easy for people to write simple NeXus compliant files 
containing at least one data cube, with just calls to HDF5 and no need 
to worry about installation of an API.  You then avoid the problem of 
people giving up on NeXus because of problems with the API in language X 
on system Y.
2. With respect to 1, also make a clear "quickstart" manual on how to 
read and write the most basic of NeXus files, and then furthermore 
provide examples of NeXus files, and the source code used to write them, 
for several of the more popular techniques along with screen snapshots 
of what the data should look like.
3. Address the technical problems that Claude raised.

One should not have to be part of the NeXus developer club to figure out 
how to use it for basic data exchange; I still get that vibe from some 
in the NeXus camp, however.  Make it easy and well documented, and 
you'll lower barriers to its adoption.

CJ



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