Feature matrix for all your favourite java libs...

[blahblahblahh]

With JGF admins choosing individual features pertinent to each category of library / technology, the developers of each lib can now list the status of each feature in their codebase. Once we’ve got a decent list of features, this will provide a broad comparison of techs. By having the features chosen centrally, it’s easier to do a direct comparison between each tech (*)

An example matrix with just one (!) feature is here:
http://javagamesfactory.org/views/view-library-category-features?category=3D%20Renderers

Index to the different matrices is here:
http://javagamesfactory.org/views/technologies-index

All I have to do now is … write down all the pertinent features for every category of library ;). But the hard stuff is out of the way…just time-consuming bits left. Expect to see some nice feature-matrices filling-out over the coming weeks.

I had to create LWJGL and JOGL myself; I’d prefer to hand over control of each (so you can put your preferred logos up, update your feature lists, etc) to developers from the respective projects rather than risk mis-uploading binaries, or failing to keep the features correct. Let me know on the usual address…ditto with particular features you’d like added to the options.

(*) the DB is configured to allow each library to add a comment explaining their lack of a feature, or their partial implementation etc. Seeing as it’s 1:30am local time I’ve run out of energy to actually add UI elements to display these neatly as footnotes etc. But, eventually, that’s the intent :).

[Matzon]

Cool, it’s down at the moment though.
I’ll check it out - and specifically we will make sure LWJGL is assigned to someone (probably just me).

Since I can’t see how its done just yet, who adds the features to be checked against? - coz somoene might add something like ‘Integration with XYZ’ - (Like a Yahoo product integrating with another Yahoo product) so that it, unfairly, looks like it has a lot more checkmarks?

[blahblahblahh]

[quote]Cool, it’s down at the moment though.
[/quote]
Argh! Works fine for a week, then I restart the server at 1 am, and within an hour it’s crashed with an Out of Memory Error. And … it;s got caught and logged without a stack trace (worst case scenario: it ran out of memory and couldn’t generate a stack trace).

Sob.

I’ll check it out - and specifically we will make sure LWJGL is assigned to someone (probably just me).

That would be great, and should make sure the accuracy of the info on LWJGL is always good.

At some point I’ll have to add a GUI for you to request features directly (I’ve got all the backend stuff setup to do it, just a case of sitting down and copy/pasting code and testing it). But for now you’ll have to email me directly with suggestions.

Since I can’t see how its done just yet, who adds the features to be checked against? - coz somoene might add something like ‘Integration with XYZ’ - (Like a Yahoo product integrating with another Yahoo product) so that it, unfairly, looks like it has a lot more checkmarks?

We talked about this a lot on these forums last year, and based on all that I ended up with this scheme as the only really workable one I could see:

1. Features can only be added by JGF admins with the “library editor” priviledge.

2. Initially, I’ll be seeding each category with a handful of standard universal features (such as “Hardware Accelrated OpenGL” for renderers - stuff that is utterly uncontentious!).

3. Any library that wants specific features added to the list has to persuade someone with the library-editor priv to do it for them, at which point it becomes available for every library in that category to consider whether their code can do it too, or if they can only partially do it, etc.

However … if features are only included when applicable to all, then the list becomes a pointless lowest-common-denominator. So, I’m hoping we can let through quite a lot of “one-sided” features BUT making sure we do several for each known library.

So, for instance, I’ll be adding the two incompatible OpenGL syntaxes of LWJGL and JOGL as two features: each of them has full support for one syntax and none or partial for the other.

So…you can potentially get any feature added, but you have to persuade a (hopefully) impartial person that it’s valid first. This should prevent abuse, bar the odd accident (which any library editor can correct by deleting/editing features).