Changes.txt

Additional files for the user
=================
In order to allow the normal user to interact with pyEdit, new folders have been
added in the project. In particular, in .bashrc file, there is a new definition of a
PYTHONPATH folder, located under $HOME/Documents/PYTHON.

This new definition give the user the possibility to add its own files, without reinstalling
the pycontrol SW.

Modification in the code
===============

editor.py
======
- Complete rewritten editor, using states and events
- Implemented an "Undo" mechanism in editor
- Block Diagram will be "updated" after some graphical operations
  (automatically repositioning of nodes)
- Clicking with the right moude button by linking blocks stop the link

Blocks
====
- Blocks are now redefines as "Dictionaries"
- 1 file = 1 block
- Blocks can be stored in 2 places:
      - pycontrol/resources/blocks/blocks   -> Set of official defines blocks"
      - $HOME/Documents/PYTHON/blocks  -> user defined blocks
- The user can create a list of its own most used blocks into the file
  $HOME/Documents/PYTHON/blocks/common.blks in a simple list
  
Example of a common.blks file:

LTI_continous.xblk
LTI_discrete.xblk
Plot.xblk
Step.xblk

C-Code libraries
==========
- The C-code for the blocks defined under "pycontrol/blocks/blocks" are
  coded under pycontrol/CodeGen/devices and the result is the "libpyblk.a" library
  
- The C-code for the blocks defined under "$HOME/Documents/PYTHON/blocks"
  are coded under $HOME/Documents/blocks/lib and the result is the "userpyblklib.a"
  library

Additional tools
==========
- defBlocks.py is a qt application which allows to generate the ".xbjk" files in a simple way

- xblk2blk.py is a qt qpplication which, starting from the ".xblk" file, allows to generate
  in a simple way a minimal definition of the "blk" class and put it into the "userBlocks.py
  file (or the pyeditBlocks.py file). In addition, the application can generate the skeleton of
  the C-file.

Real-time scope
==========
I've integrated the code from Ardit Drovani and Tim Berghoff from TU Berlin (thanks for
the contribution!) for realtime plotting, using pyqtgraph.
The corresponding block is the "RT plot" block under "output" in the Library

ToDo
===
- Connecting block is still not perfect
- Insert connectio from inport to outport, node or connection
- Hierarchical blocks (????)
- Better Integration algorithms: pyEdit should be more a code generator for RT-system
  instead of a simulation program. This means that the most code should be in discrete
  time modus. In order to use it as simulation system, pyEdit needs a better integration of
  different integration algorithms.


roberto.bucher@supsi.ch - 19.09.2018