Quantrix-like app for GNUstep (Was: Re: Funding GNUstep development)

[stefan]

Citát Tim Bissell <tim.bissell@drkw.com>:

> 
> On Nov 5, 2004, at 22:13, Stefanos Kiakas wrote:
> 
> >
> > Hello ,
> >
> >
> > One other thing you might want to look into. Talking
> > to IBM to release the Improv source code. Improv is
> > much better than Quantrix.
> >

Note that Quantrix is not just a spreadsheet. It is also a tool for
multi-dimensional modelling and that is its strong side. It is more similar to
the Oracle Discoverer - tool I use almost each day as datawarehouse analyst.
It is not just another Excel clone.

Short description for those who do not know what it is: It is a tool that helps
fast and almost-real-time analysis of data from various sources, including
database. Basic features of such tool are:
- displaying data in a table or cross table ("pivot table" in excel)
- filtering
- presenting the data in user readable and understandable form (through end
user
layer description)
- drilling (showing more details of summary data: like you can drill from year
summary to month summary to day summary or you can drill from country to county
to city to store)
- ...

I had the idea of implementing Quantrix/Discoverer[1]-like application for
GNUstep for some time. There are plenty of open-source/free spreadsheets out
there, but there are no analysis tools of that kind. At least, not so simple
and powerful at the same time.

The target market for such application is not too large to number of potential
users, but it is large to number of potential user areas. And there is a very
large hole in OSS for this kind of applications.

If combined with GDL2 for database layer and perhaps GNUstepWEB for alternative
to application version, then it can be very powerfull tool.

In short what would be necessary to implemet for first prototype, so you can
have a picture:

- "pivot table view" with drag&drop possibility for data rotation (change
columns to rows and vice versa)
- arithmetic expresion parser/executor (for conditions and computations)
- DB connectivity or spreadsheet view for data sources
- computational engine (basic operations over number arrays)

It is not so difficult to create such application as all concepts used are
already known, it is only very time consuming to document and implement it.

I can offer my knowledge from datawarehousing and create some
analysis/specification/documentation to the project, if someone decides to
start it. However, as i started to be busy with The Real Life, I can do it only
for a compensation for my free time, if it would be possible.

It is not an application for masses, i think, but as i have mentioned, there is
demand for such application and the demand is not satisfied. It can be one of
the killer apps.

[1] Oracle Discoverer -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/discoverer.html

Stefan Urbanek
--
http://stefan.agentfarms.net