Re: [Gnumed-devel] Re: GNUmed + KOrganizer (appointments and scheduling)

[Karsten Hilbert]

On Thu, Mar 08, 2007 at 08:45:58AM -0800, Jim Busser wrote:

> >Ich habe mal niedergeschrieben, was unsere Anforderungen wären:
> >     http://wiki.gnumed.de/bin/view/Gnumed/MiniProjects#AnchorKOrganizer
> 
> Sorry if I missed any description of the plan or idea for this.
The idea mainly arose from a real-world use case with all
its limitations: One of our physical therapy user also uses
KOrganizer.

> Perhaps KOrganizer is a useful way to get appointment-management  
> going for GNUmed,
"get ... going" is key here: it's by no means the definitive
answer but rather a first step useful within its constraints.

> I do not know the program or its technology well  
> enough. But maybe there is value considering or sharing thoughts on  
> the following:
I am always glad to see others chipping in.

> 1. does coding to KOrganizer tie Linux users to KDE
If it was to be a hardcoded link, then, yes. But I won't
hardcode KOrganizer access. Notice how the API spec says:

"required: detect_KOrganizer()"
        * ...
        * this is useful for cross-platform use

IOW, the KOrganizer link will be usable (and not mandatory
either) IF KOrganizer can be detected in the system.

Same way we do it with accessing scanners, external patient
sources, web browsers and the drug database (that link is
hardcoded but the user has the freedom to chose that menu
item over other menu items linking to drug databases).

> or can KOrganizer be used under other desktops without the
> user having to run all of KDE?
Don't know.

> Would KOrganizer be installed and running on each desktop
The use case is one-desktop/one-KOrganizer instance.

> only on the server, and would the KOrganizer data set be shared from  
> a single file on the server? Is there a problem if a user somehow  
> creates additional appointments with the data stored somehow on their  
> own desktop?
However, several KOrganizer instances can be synced via ical
files (I think that's their name).

This is NOT the best solution for group resources
management.

That's why the last item in the wiki says

"future: consider moving into resource scheduling"
        * ...
        * ... / Kollab ?

> 2. what would it mean for a non-Linux OS?
Not available, not used. GNUmed keeps running fine.
Depending on needs a platform-appropriate application can be
made to transparently kick in.

BTW, for MSW we already *have* a low-key link to the
commercial "Terminiko" resources planner
(http://www.terminiko.de). "Low-key" because all it does is
handing over the patient demographics on demand.

> For Mac OS, KOrganizer  
> looks to be ported (Mac OS 10.3 PowerPC chip but not yet 10.4 Intel  
> chip). For Windows I found http://dot.kde.org/1062148358/ but  
> following a link to www.thekompany.com it looks like the Aethera  
> suite for Windows (now) instead uses Kolab.
Which (Kolab) may indeed be the better long-term answer but
for which we have no offer of assistance from KDE :-)

Hope that clears up any FUD. As usual we steer towards a
"best-of-breed" solution while giving the user something to
work with now (as opposed to "later, when everything is
ready"). Learning of more use cases can only improve our
understanding of how we need to get there.

Karsten
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