RE: EPICS CA Interface for caQtDM and epicsqt

["Williams Jr., Ernest L." <ernesto@slac.stanford.edu>]

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From: Andrew Rhyder [Andrew.Rhyder@synchrotron.org.au]
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 4:54 AM
To: Mezger Anton Christian (PSI); Williams Jr., Ernest L.
Cc: Babbitt, Alisha; Szalata, Zenon M.; Shankar, Murali; qti-talk@aps.anl.gov
Subject: RE: EPICS CA Interface for caQtDM and epicsqt

Hi Anton,

You are right, related display functionality is still display manager-centric.

I have some thoughts on improving widgets from both widget sets so associated displays requests work well regardless of the display manager they are running within. Also some thoughts on the justification for keeping the current different behavior of each display manager.

Improvements:
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Cross pollination would be good.
The epicsqt widgets could use the caQtDM library to request associated displays when running within the caQtDM display manager. The epicsqt framework already uses caQtDM library functions when built with caQtDM and this would just build on that. 
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We have for sure included the caQtDM in our build.  :)

Epicsqt widgets also already know if there is an application responding to their requests for associated displays (and even launch their own basic related display if there is no application support for related displays). This could be extended to ensure both display managers are supported by epicsqt widgets.

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Excellent :)



Considering the other way round, the epicsqt framework display manager 'QEGui' will respond to requests to launch related displays from any widgets (including caQtDM widgets) that use the launch mechanism provided by the epicsqt framework library.

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This would be good and preferable if possible


Different display manager behavior:
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An accurate medm conversion tool should accurately mimic medm associated displays. A task that caQtDM does very well. The epicsqt framework can create related displays medm style, but does not target medm conversion and can also launch related displays as a tab within the current window, as a new main window, or as a dock in the current window. Also, these options are available from custom application menu bars and toolbars within QEGui as well as from epicsqt widgets (QEPushButtons). This functionality is intended to allow for the development of a suite of .ui files that run within QEGui and behave like a single modern custom application, with application specific menu bars and tool bars, not like a set of medm displays running with a display manager. If I have undersold caQtDM related displays, Anton, please correct me, but I think having a pair of display managers that handle both medm simulation, and modern application expectations is a plus.

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I definitely would like to see and try this behavior.


Cheers,
Ernest

Regards
Andrew
________________________________________
From: Mezger Anton Christian (PSI) [anton.mezger@psi.ch]
Sent: Tuesday, 17 March 2015 18:35
To: Williams Jr., Ernest L.; Andrew Rhyder
Cc: Babbitt, Alisha; Szalata, Zenon M.; Shankar, Murali; qti-talk@aps.anl.gov
Subject: RE: EPICS CA Interface for caQtDM and epicsqt

Dear All,

caQtDM and epicsqt have a different philosophy concerning the data io. caQtDM uses pure graphics objects that are populated by the caQtDM viewer. Epicsqt uses epics aware widgets, i.e epics is sitting underneath the widgets. Epicqt can view therefore the variables in the designer and the graphical widgets of caQtDM cannot. The two packages can be concurrent, while they consist of plugins for the designer. The viewer of both packages can thus use both widget sets. It is already some time ago that the integration of both widgets took place. It is however not impossible that after a year, things diverged. I think that related displays are not (well?) supported by the epicsqt viewer (Andrew, please correct me). If you use this feature of caQtDM, then use the caQtDM viewer and plugin the epicsqt widgets.

I hope this explanation helps you.

Best regards

Anton

-----Original Message-----
From: Williams Jr., Ernest L. [mailto:ernesto@slac.stanford.edu]
Sent: Montag, 16. März 2015 21:08
To: Mezger Anton Christian (PSI); Andrew.Rhyder@synchrotron.org.au
Cc: Babbitt, Alisha; Szalata, Zenon M.; Shankar, Murali; Williams Jr., Ernest L.; qti-talk@aps.anl.gov
Subject: EPICS CA Interface for caQtDM and epicsqt

Hi Guys,

Can you tell us a bit about the Channel Access interface you have for your package?
Is it the same for both  "caQtDM" and "epicsqt" ?
If not, how is it different?


Thanks in advance for your time.


Cheers,
Ernest