Re: [Gretl-devel] Several things

I would be lying if I said I am not surprised with the lack of response followed by Allin's response on this matter. Here is a well-written proposal from last year: Title: Connecting R and PostgreSQL using DBI The GSoC project involves creating an R add-on package that provides the 'glue' between the DBI package and PostgreSQL. This will bridge the existing gap for a DBI connection between the premier Open Source data analysis system R and the object-relational database management system PostgreSQL. I have seen quite a few projects which involve recoding something in C to gain speed and efficiency. Recoding may not be boring for the student if he is doing it for the first time. He will be learning a great deal, plus he gets paid for it. Good opportunity for us to get something done which would be really boring for a senior programmer. I see the point regarding some of the projects that I have proposed being not modular and therefore unfeasible. On the other hand I don't see what is wrong with my 5th proposal (regarding confidence bands) that you did not comment on. It is modular, relatively simple, something small but nice to have etc. I think it is perfectly doable. Here is another similar project from last year: Title: Adding 3D plots support for Gnumeric/GOffice Gnumeric is capable of working on large sets of data and has a variety of tools for visualising and analysis of 2D data. However, sometimes two spatial dimensions are not enough. Especially scientists often need to visualize their data in 3D. My goal will be to make it possible by implementing the most commonly used visualization method - a 3D surface plot. It will be implemented as a plug-in for GOffice library, like all the other plots. GSoC has some difficulties and extra work but I think it is worth it. One difficulty is we need Allin, Jack and maybe others to accept mentoring some of the students on the projects. As I said, I can mentor one (maybe the confidence band project). GSoC is very nice because that way you get more people involved, studying and understanding the code. This is useful and healthy to have in the long-run. Together with the filters library project, here I see 3 doable projects. Plus I was sure that some of you guys would come up with some other, nice, modular and suitable proposals. That did'nt happen. If you are set on doing the one joint project thing with R, there is nothing more I can say. Regards Talha -- “Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.” - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) --