GSoC ideas for GNOWSYS project

[Nagarjuna G]

GNOWSYS

•  Emacs Web Service

Emacs as a Web service:  There are two existing projects (http://github.com/eschulte/simple-server and http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/EmacsEchoServer) which provide some preliminary model to work on.  Based on these projects, we intend to develop a web service that exposes Emacs functions and macros to any client (desktop or web client). This is required for web based semantic desktop (gnowser). The candidates are required to have elisp and CGI experience.

• Semantic Desktop

GNOWSYS can be used as a Triple Store, and is currently being developed to support collaborative ontology (systems) editing as well as creating applications by instantiating the developed ontologies. Sharing highly granular data (RDF triples) across applications is the central feature of Semantic desktops, and this can be achieved by developing such clients (either in gnowsys-mode of
Emacs or as a gnome-gnowser). Depending on the expertize of the candidate we are looking for students with knowledge in pyGTK or elisp. Previous knowledge of RDF,OWL, XTM or other semantic web based applications will be an additional advantage.

• Visual Computing Studio

Developing a visual computing studio (IDE) based on the heterogeneous distributed computing model of GNOWSYS.  We intend to develop a educationally useful programming workspace as found in Turtle Activity .  Exposure to web service architecture, pyGTK and metaknowledge of structure of programs will be useful.

• Speed Optimization of writing and reading of GNOWSYS store. Benchmarking gnowsysApp_rc1 to detect bottlenecks and designing and implementing alternative parellelization of processing to enhance performance of GNOWSYS as a triple store. Very good knowledge of Python, postgresql, file system, and experience with handling large sets of data are preferred. Database optimization techniques like connection pooling will be  required .
  

• Collaborative Concept Mapping Activity in Sugar with GNOWSYS as storage

A pyGTK based extension of the gnowser project to do refined concept mapping.  Based on the codebase of Labyrinth Activity in Sugar, we intend to develop a full featured collaborative concept mapping application using GNOWSYS as a storage.

• Synchronization of Data between gnowsys servers

Two or more remote servers of GNOWSYS exchange messages between them, subscribe to parts of database and establish sync relationships (subscription).  Automatic agent based synchronization should happen between the servers.  This involves, determining the changes, messaging the changes to subscribed servers, and initiating transfer mechanisms using RDF based data exchange.

Good understanding of serialization of data, XML, RDF, and file transfer protocols, agent oriented services with good working knowledge in Python required.

Please discuss the projects in the address@hidden mailing list if necessary. If students come with their own ideas, please write about them in the mailing list.