[OS] Important: Process of OSP Standards (OSxLs) -- how changes are currently made and saved

[Jun Ma]

Hi all,
Several of you have asked about how the changes of different OSxL
(especially the schema such as OSiL) are made, saved, maintained and
uploaded.
1. To make sure, the OSiL core (Variables, Objectives, Constraints,
Linear, Quadratic, Nonlinear) are very stable (or finalized) and even
though there are changes to it, it will be backward-compatible. So most
of you should not have trouble if you use OSiL. OSrL for result is in
similar situation. OSoL for option is likely to be extended a bit, but
still will be backward compatible.

2. Of course there are all these extensions that we are working
separately within different subgroups.
Major things that are fairly stable  are:
basic stochastic (more or less those in smps+nonlinear+a bit more)
optimization via simulation (where simulation can be on a remote
network)
realTimeData
userFunctions
math programs with stage information, XMLData in .

Things that are quite comprehensive but still changing are:
Advanced Stochastic extension (more or less those that are not in smps)
parameterSet/robustOptimization, disjunctivePrograms
constraint programming

Things that just started are
modification/pattern/inheritance/compression
cone/semidefinite

3. The most updated version of all the OSxL's are, of course on my
computer.
But I check in every time we make changes to the COIN SVN site so you
can check out with the command:
svn co https://projects.coin-or.org/svn/OS/trunk/OS/schemas schemas
where the last "schemas" is the folder name to put all the OSxL files
in.

Or since OSxL are all xml text files, you can browse the source
directly at:
https://projects.coin-or.org/OS/browser/trunk/OS/schemas
Remember These are mainly for researchers/developers  (i.e. us)

4. Now the most important is the official schema site at
www.optimizationservices.org
which all the OS XML files (e.g. a "dietProblem.osil" problem on Kipp
Martin's Linux box) are pointing to and validated against.
The schema site is:
http://www.optimizationservices.org/schemas/OSxL.xsd
where OSxL can be any existing schema.
For example  the official public OSiL Schema is at
http://www.optimizationservices.org/schemas/OSiL.xsd

Keep in mind that these URI/URLs are all case sensitive.

Unlike the SVN site, the official schemas are stable ones that we
upload, and we are very careful before uploading, because optimization
problems in the entire world are pointing to them for validation and
all other purposes.

5. Of course it would a hassle to download each "official" schema one
by one by typing in the address like:
http://www.optimizationservices.org/schemas/OSxL.xsd
So on the http://optimizationservices.org, we put up a zip file of all
the OSxL files at the dowload site. The download link is always at the
top of the site.

The current zip file is OSSchemas113006.zip. The last 6 digits indicate
the date.
So it's today! (I just uploaded it)

6. At this moment, schemas on my computer, in the COIN SVN, at the
os.org site and the zip file at the download site, are all the same.

But in general schemas on my computer and COIN SVN are always
synchronized and they are the LATEST development trunk.

Schemas on os.org and in the zip file are synchronized, but they are
the stable ones and not always the latest (except for today).

7. I agree that after OS goes public, the process should be more
formally instated and more tightly controlled.

Let me know if you have suggestions and questions. 

Jun Ma


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