Re: Private Re: [Gnumed-devel] gnumed ideas 0.1 and post-0.1

[Richard Terry]

I'm not claiming to be a wxPython/Python coder, but I can produce a modicum of 
code. I don't pretend to be a 'back-end' coder either.

However as I'm sick and tired of the slow progress on gnuMed and what I see as 
a lack of vision, I decided 2 weeks ago that I would learn a bit of 
wxPython/python proper, and have been beavering away practicing in my spare 
time. Bit of a hard learning curve. At this moment I'm going through a great 
tutorial: http://www.byteofpython.info/ trying to learn about dictionaries 
etc, and firing multiple questions to the wxPython users list.

As an exercise in learning this, I'm knocking up a complete and functional 
gnuMed_AU gui-front end in wxPython 2.5, a la couple of quick screen dumps I 
produced very crudly some many months ago. That way, at least anyone who 
wants to see the conceptualisation of how it functions and it willing to 
isntall wx2.5n will be able to download and install it and play with it.

I have created all the basic sections ranging from summary to scripts, 
recalls, referral letters, progress notes etc, and can click on the toolbar 
and jump back and forth between all the sections. I can load html code of 
product information and swap the central panel area in and out, I can pick up 
the button events from other imported files and display stuff, can put the 
popup menu's onto the lists, click on an option , and display again central 
hmtl data.

It is imperative that we move from 2.4 to 2.5x, ask by the time anything gets 
produced python2.6 will be out, and so much has changed in 2.5. The old 2.4 
code from the modules won't run in 2.5, and has to be changed more than just 
a global replacement of the wx( as in wxDefault, becomes wx.Default etc). 
Unfortunately there is a fair bit of laborious work changing it over.

I've also learnt some interesting things about sizers and how they behave, 
none of which is intuitive.

If the group are interested in posting some screen dumps somwhere I will 
provide a dozen or so, but my main interest at the moment is getting up to 
speed.

I guess people forget I did program an entire visual basic program some  years 
ago, and whearas I havn't coded properly for years, I am capable of learning 
it.

As a last ditch effort to help the project, I'm going to attempt to be a 
useful coder. I don't think most people on this list realise just how quickly 
the moment of opportunity is passing us by, so rapid are the developments in 
medical IT. Though Horst will I'm sure disagree, I think we have lost a 
golden opportunity to get a foot in the door of medical IT in Australia. With 
Divisions starting to set up their own VPN's, and the devlopments in State 
Health, it is almost at the point where they will be proscriptive about what 
software can and can't be used by GP's, ie You will be forced to use that by 
certain vendors which are accredited etc, or not get access to the health 
systems networks. I can hear Horst howling in the background about these 
statements (so bring on the rebuttals). That's just how beaurocracy works in 
this country, like it or not.



I agree with Tim's comments which went something like 'come on guys pull your 
finger out' It's not that hard to produce something functional, albeit not 
perfect. Its no good having a perfect backend that never gets used.

We have to find some way around the impass that seems to be Karsten;s (and 
hence the German requirements) that dosn't fit AU, including some of the 
database table design.

I also beleive we need to have another gnuMed conference in AU.

I'll switch off my email client now to avoid the flames.

Regards

Richard


On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 06:50 pm, you wrote:
> At 8:13 AM +1100 2/18/05, Richard Terry wrote:
> >Yeah, nice to see my name is not included.
>
> Richard (and hi to David)
>
> I took the above as sarcasm and can only plead ignorance if I
> misjudged your coding ability.
>
> Sadly I am unable to myself develop the program. I had understood you
> to be in the same predicament. Despite your acknowledged savvy at
> functional design, you may, like me, be unable (or at least limited)
> to effect the kind of code needed, we can only coax and that moves us
> ahead, but not visibly. We cannot ourselves *do it*.
>
> Thus actual coding will depend on the people I named in the previous
> email. It is not a question of not valuing people's contributions
> (yours or others'). For example, David Grant (thank you again David)
> did us a tremendous service getting Twiki
> (a) established originally, on his own server
> (b) (with Karsten) moved to Horst's server and
> (c) fixing it on Carlos' server, when AFAICT Carlos was struggling,
> or at least lacked time.
>
> But unless I am wrong, David is not in a position to *directly* help
> code or get GnuMed off the ground. he and I were supposed to have a
> beer at one point in the summer, it didn't happen, but I would still
> like to make good on my offer to him, sometime.
>
> Does that help? I hope so, I hope you stick it out with us others. I
> plan to stick it out at least another 6 to 9 months. Maybe I am
> deluded, but if I can pay someone locally to connect up some basic
> parts, maybe I can get a second grant of some type to get a little
> more GnuMed hooked up, and that might attract yet more implementation
> effort, maybe some from abroad. Do ya' think? Maybe? Cheers... Jim