[Coin-discuss] Web interface for COIN (webCOIN)

[steven.henderson at us.army.mil]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I've built a crude php-driven web interface that integrates with any UNIX server running COIN.
The interface runs in a browser, and allows a user to input a model in LINDO format.
The php then parses the model to MPS, and uploads it to the COIN server, runs
a shell script, and captures the output.  The output file (solution) is displayed
on a separate php page that is continuously updated.  The user has the option of selecting
the CLP or BCP solver.

This is just my first version, and I am building it as a prototype while helping a friend crunch some MIPs for
a web application.   Future enhancements I want to add to webCOIN:

*  Ability to enter MPS formatted models. (This will be a quick and easy addition).

*  Ability to set any of the BCP parameters from the web page.  Now I use defaults.

*  User accounts.  Users can login, see existing jobs, kill them, etc.  Administrator has the ability to put limitations on each user (execution time, number of simultaneous jobs, etc)  These settings are stored in a database.

*  Email notification for solution milestones, completion.

*  XML web service.  

I just wanted to share this with everyone.  If you are interested in adding this kind of capability to the COIN GNU project, I would be more than happy to share what I have now, as well as what I add in the future.  I can also show you the prototype I have.  

Whatever the case, please accept my heart-felt thanks for making COIN an available and functional tool for all.  I very much appreciate the hard work that went into its development.  Well Done!

V/R

CPT Steve Henderson
Instructor, Dept. of Sys. Engineering
United States Military Academy (USMA)
West Point, NY  10966
stevehenderson at 141.com
steven.henderson at us.army.mil