[Os-project-managers] Updates to OSoL schema

[Horand Gassmann]

Kipp Martin <kmartin at chicagobooth.edu> wrote:

> Hi Gus:
>>
>> That is actually a good question, and it calls into question a whole lot
>> of stuff, perhaps the entire ticket 14. Let`s say, I want to print out a
>> detailed log of what goes on inside of the OSoL parser. I now don`t
>> think I can do it, because I need to have parsed the osol file before I
>> can set any echo levels. So what comes first, the chicken or the egg?
>>
>> This means in particular that there is no way we can (let the user)
>> control any print statement that gets executed before the OSoL file is
>> parsed. I am starting to suspect that this might mean that aside from
>> the banner about the version information we cannot have *any* print
>> statement in the production code. Is this your read also?
>
> Ugh, that does not sound good. I guess this should be at the top of  
> our list when we meet next.

I agree, and I have thought some more about it. I think Andreas ran  
into a similar problem with Ipopt, and we can learn from his solution.  
There are two ways we communicate with our program: Through schema  
files, and on the command line. Since we cannot put the output options  
into the OSoL schema, the only other choice is the command line. I  
think we have no choice, we have to go there.

With command line options we have to be frugal, however. I think it is  
mandatory that the user be able to
1. Set a global print level for messages to stdout
2. Set a file name to which to send (possibly different) output
3. Set a global print level for messages to that file

In addition it would be nice (for debugging purposes) to be able to  
control *one* area in which the global print level is overridden. At  
this point, though, I no longer consider this essential.

We should still allow the more detailed output redirect in the API,  
however; much the way Ipopt does it.

Cheers

gus

-------------------------------------------------------

Horand I. Gassmann, Professor

School of Business Administration, Dalhousie University
6100 University Avenue, PO Box 15000
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ph. (902) 494-1844
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http://myweb.dal.ca/gassmann/