Eirikur Hallgrimsson on 28 May 2008 05:57:43 -0700 |
Thanks, Erek. Sometimes I get hit with something like this and go into brain freeze because I don't have personal knowledge of all the options. The code is all done for the functionality, we just need a web GUI that turns around and performs command line commands and config file editing. Any solution that can do that is a candidate, and as you mention there are a lot of them. Eirikur Erek Dyskant wrote: > Some things to consider: > (1) You may want to couch it as two positions: a frontend designer and > a backend developer. If it turns out to be the same person, great, but > a good site designer can really help out with projects like this, and is > a very different skillset from a good developer. > (1a) If you can pay for it, this may be a good candidate for just > hiring a web application development firm to do the whole thing. That's > probably be your quickest to market decision if you pick the right firm > with the right communication. > (2) Have the application flow together before you start with the code. > By this I mean feature list, wire frame, AJAX behavior list, database > schema. > (3) As for other web development environments to look at, there are > many to choose from: PHP/symfony or codeigniter, Python/Django, ruby on > rails, and many more. This may be unpopular, but I see them in a > they're all the same light: All of these provide you with the tools you > need to make a manageable web application when combined with the > appropriate talent. > (4) When it's marketed in appliance form, what will the CPU and > code-size limitations be? This may inform your decision on web > technologies to use. > (5) What will the integration between the frontend web application and > the back-end configuration management be like? This should be more > robust than a set of commandline options, and should by documented fully > for internal use. Look into REST/SOAP/XMLRPC, or maybe even a > database-only interaction (both read from the same database, with hints > for when an update has occurred) > (6) Depending on your market, consider documenting the > machine-interface for customer use. > > Best of luck with the project. > > Cheers, > Erek > > > > On Tue, 2008-05-27 at 16:33 -0400, Eirikur Hallgrimsson wrote: >> The good news is that the hardware is a Stratus dual server, which is to >> say a powerful box with a reasonable amount of physical memory. OS is >> a recent Red Hat with paid support. >> >> The product is about as complex as one of the better home router/gateway >> boxes. That's the size/complexity of the GUI that we need. Today it's >> four tabs at the top level. >> >> The bad news is that I took over this project from a person who left the >> company and everything I've found out about his implementation is that >> it's just a GUI shell that doesn't do anything. It's >> Python/GTK/Glade--right up my alley, really, I love the tools but my >> conscience requires me to advise my employer that there is so little >> actual code written that considering other approaches at this point is >> mandatory. >> >> Future versions of this router will be appliances with no screen or >> keyboard, so staying with the X/GTK approach looks broken to me even for >> the beta / V1.0. I know of no way to map GTK/GLADE into a web app--do >> you??? >> >> The only technology that I know of that would let us build this thing >> *quickly* with a built-in web app that functions as the GUI is Ruby on >> Rails. I've hacked the Rails source to fix a problem, but I've only >> made trivial web pages with it. I'm not the guy to hit the ground >> running confidently toward a great-looking configuration GUI using >> Rails. I'm thinking Ajax, etc, but I'm not really a web guy. >> >> If it weren't for the time pressure--the GUI is now on the critical >> path, I could do this, in Rails, but I'm not convinced Rails is the way >> to go. >> >> What else should we be looking at besides Rails? >> >> If you are a Rails guru and this sounds like a piece of cake, I'll pass >> your resume along--the employment would be for the project duration and >> probably a job shop that my employer uses today. >> >> The same goes for any well-established competing technology--if you >> could do this for us, send me a resume. >> >> Eirikur Hallgrimsson >> eh@mad.scientist.com >> >> Attachment: The boss's version of my list of applicant requirements. >> >> We’ve developed an application to perform certain tasks, but it’s all >> command-line driven (and not very user-friendly). We’re looking to >> create a web-based interface and we’re now in need of someone proficient >> in Ruby on Rails. Our developer listed the following criteria: >> >> - Someone who can really program in Ruby beyond the minimum amount >> needed for simple, static web sites. (Not just a person who read a Rails >> book or two) >> >> - Ability to design the database schema and program a fair amount of >> logic will be required. >> >> - Experience with JavaScript and Ajax. >> >> - Knowledge of Rails weak spots. >> >> - Experience in securing a Rails application. >> >> - A list of sites (portfolio) would be preferred. >> >> ___________________________________________________________________________ >> Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org >> Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce >> General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org > Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce > General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug ___________________________________________________________________________ Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce General Discussion -- http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
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