Transcript Demo

Web SAMP in VAO Data
Discovery Tool
Dean Hinshaw, NASA/HEASARC
The VAO is operated by the VAO, LLC.
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VAO Data Discover Tool
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Web based application for searching VO services.
Javascript client application gets results from server.
 ExtJS Javascript environment used.
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Discovery results typically tabular in nature.
 Client facilities for manipulating tables of results and displaying
details of individual records.
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Some records refer to images
Want to send tables and images to other applications
via SAMP
Dean Hinshaw
IVOA Interop, Oct 2011
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Data Discovery Tool
Dean Hinshaw
IVOA Interop, Oct 2011
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WebSAMP Implementation
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Currently proof-of-concept, transmitting table urls only
Use samp.js library from Mark’s WebSAMP site
Notification pattern used to broadcast
table.load.votable message
Wrote ExtJS SampManager class - less than 100
lines.
 Registers client if not already done so, and maintains for use is
subsequent calls.
 Sends table URL
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Demo
Dean Hinshaw
IVOA Interop, Oct 2011
5
Future Development
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More “helpful” user interface
 Active list of clients to send table to, a la Topcat.
 What to do if there is no hup/application/web profile running.
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Support for image URLs
Ability to send filtered table
 Construct url for filtered table on server
 From the client? (see below)
Dean Hinshaw
IVOA Interop, Oct 2011
6
WebSAMP Issues
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samp.js is “undocumented and scrappy”
 Standard and examples enough to figure it out.
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Sending tables constructed on the client
 Not obvious (to me) how to make a URL for a dynamically
generated table available to another client.
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How can the client help the user if a hub and/or
subscribed client are not available?
 Use webstart to start a hub or client.
 What if a hub is not running a web profile?
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What happens if we start another hub? (badness)
Can web client distinguish between no hub and no web profile? (I
don’t think so)
Dean Hinshaw
IVOA Interop, Oct 2011