NRAO AIPS++ Users Group Meeting - MINUTES

Date: 2005-02-23 (Wednesday)
Time: 1300 MST
Video Hub: SOC-conf (CV should call in to Socorro)
Rooms: SOC317/CV311

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1. NAUG News

   o general news (Steve)

2. AIPS++/ISD Status Report

   o stable SS10 and patch status (Joe)

     SS10 was delivered in Jan

     SS10.5 is due around Feb 15, this expected to be the patched version
     to use for ALMA pre-testing

   o defect status (Joe)

     Another "defect day" is in the works, possibly late March or early April.

     Key defects to be addressed are in the mosaicing tools, in particular
     in the interactive cleaning and thresholding areas.

   o development targets (Joe)

     SS11 target setting and planning will occur after March 15

     We are making progress on some of the critical long-term targets, such
     as the handling of multiple MS (hopefully available in SS12 or SS13) and
     better handling of filler tolerances.     

3. ALMA

   o AIPS++ TEST3/ALMA TST2.0 (Feb05/Apr05) testing targets (Joe, Steve)

     This is focused on interferometer data/single-dish image combination 
     (ie. where a single-dish image is used for feathering or joint
     deconvolution with the interferometry MS).

     Pre-testing to start Mon Feb 28.     

   o AIPS++ TEST4/ALMA TST2.1 (Sep05/Oct05) deliverables (Joe, Steve)

     Was to be "complex mosaics" (unclear just what this is).  Now likely
     to be focused on single-baseline comissioning for ATF.

4. EVLA

   o AIPS++ TEST3/EVLA TST2.0 (Apr05) test plans & issues (Joe, Steve, Sanjay)

     Data directory is ready and web page (at project office) is nearly done.

   o development plan & requirements (Steve, Sanjay)

     Need list of tasks, and effort estimates.

5. Main Event - Presentations and Discussion Items

   o Some "New Stuff" demos (Joe):

     - history tables

       currently printed via ms.summary(verbose=T)
       would be nice to have a "printlevel" control of the verbiage
       some discussion of desirability of timestamps every line (currently
       a column in the history table, probably ok)
       
       should there be a browser (e.g. the logger)?
       what about an editor? to change, add, delete.  too dangerous?
 
       autoflag logging is too complex: print inputs only once, only report
       chunks that get flagged?

       history for interactive flagging (e.g. in msplot)? e.g. AIPS TVFLG
       DOHIST=1

       how should the history file be reconciled on concatenation?
       what should go into the history for images?

       lots of discussion on how to better enable users to interact with the
       history table (e.g. via an editor or through ascii).  would be nice
       to allow users to attach stuff like scripts etc.  It was noted that
       one can put anything into the MS - its just a directory!  Already used
       by some NAUG members to store scripts in the ms directories!

     - ACS tasking (DEFERRED UNTIL A LATER NAUG MEETING)

       Next meeting (hopefully) - currently vlafiller has been prototyped.
       Some string handling issues to discuss.

6. AIPS++ Developments - see latest targets and info at Project Office:
     http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/

7. Upcoming meetings and deadlines:
   o 2005 Feb 28?        Internal NAUG ALMA TST2 begins
   o 2005 Mar 1-3        RadioNet meeting (Jodrell Bank, UK)
   o 2005 Mar 31-Apr 1   EVLA site visit?
   o 2005 Apr 1          External ALMA TST2 begins
   o 2005 Apr 4          Internal NAUG EVLA TST2 begins

   The agendas for past NAUG meetings are archived at:
   http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~smyers/aips++/agenda/

   The minutes for past NAUG meetings are archived at:
   http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~smyers/aips++/minutes/