Data Analysis Programming Group Survey Results
Last modified: Wed Nov 26 15:31:57 PST 1997
Number of Responses: 70
Number of Surveys Sent Out: 120
Percentage of Reponses: 58.33%
The complete questionnaire was distributed in September 1997.
1. Have you ever accessed the Fusion Technical Web site (http://web.gat.com)?
If so, which browser on which platform do you use most often? (e.g. "Netscape on the Mac")
- YES: 68
- NO: 2
- Computer Type:
- MAC: 49
- HP: 21
(Number of Netscape Users: 66)
2. Which computer platforms do you use regularly? (Place an X next to all that apply)
- AEG Modcomp: 1
- Cray (UNICOS): 17
- DECstation (Ultrix): 6
- Digital Alpha (Digital Unix): 11
- Digital Alpha (OpenVMS): 13
- Digital VAX (VMS): 59
- HOME PC: 1
- HP (HP-UX): 63
- Macintosh: 59
- Matrix (Motorola 68030) running OS-9: 1
- Most often: PC running Linux: 1
- PC/Windows 3.1/95/NT: 10
- SGI (IRIX): 7
- Sun (Solaris): 16
- Unix AEGModcom: 1
3. Do you write or maintain programs that run on the following platforms? (Place an X next to all that apply)
- AEG Modcomp: 1
- Cray (UNICOS): 16
- DECstation (Ultrix): 5
- Digital Alpha (Digital Unix): 8
- Digital Alpha (OpenVMS): 10
- Digital VAX (VMS): 43'
- HP (HP-UX): 54
- Macintosh: 22
- Matrix (Motorola 68030)running OS-9: 1
- PC under Linux: 1
- PC/Windows 3.1/95/NT: 2
- SGI (IRIX): 7
- Sun (Solaris): 14
- Unix - AEG Modcomp: 1
4. If you write or maintain programs what languages do you use? (Place an X next to all that apply)
- ACCESSWARE on Ops computer: 1
- C: 26
- C++: 6
- DCL AND VARIOUS UNIX SHELLS: 1
- FORTRAN 77: 58
- Fortran 90: 13
- IDL: 46
- MATLAB: 1
- Matlab, Basis: 1
- Perl: 6
- Python: 1
- Tcl/Tk: 4
- UNIX Scripts, Expect, Prograph: 1
- UNIXscripts(Incl.IRIX): 1
- Visual Basic: 1
5. Do you write or maintain programs using any graphics software? (Place an X next to all that apply)
- ACCESSWARE on Ops computer: 1
- AG2: 2
- DISSPLA: 32
- EXPLORER: 1
- IDL: 48
- MATLAB: 6
- NCAR Graphics: 10
- NO: 1
- PLOT10: 8
- SGLIB: 4
- Some Mac graphics including Fortner Transform: 1
- TV80: 4
- X11 (X Toolkit, Motif, etc.): 5
6. What physics analysis software do you use? (e.g. TRANSP, EFIT, ONETWO, 4D, Review, etc.)
On which platforms do you use them? (e.g. Hydra, VAXN, etc.)
Codes mentioned:
- 4D: 53
- AUTOEDGE: 4
- BALOO: 3
- CER: 4
- D3DTOI: 1
- EFIT: 57
- ENERGY: 3
- LOCUS: 1
- NBLOG: 1
- NONE: 12
- ONETWO: 15
- PLOTN: 6
- PWRCALC: 1
- QPLOT: 7
- RADIATION: 1
- REVIEW: 49
- S1032: 2
- SOLCALC: 3
- TOQ: 2
- TRANSP: 6
- TSPLOT: 4
- none of the above: 2
Machines mentioned:
- CRAY: 6
- HP: 6
- HYDRA: 50
- MAC: 2
- NONE: 12
- SGI: 1
- UNIX: 3
- VAX: 34
- none of the above: 2
7. What essential codes are you aware of that currently operate only under Digital OpenVMS?
Which of these only operate on the VAX (and not Alphas)?
Codes mentioned:
- AUTOEDGE: 5
- CER: 4
- D3DTOI: 1
- ENERGY: 5
- LOCUS: 1
- NBLOG: 2
- NONE: 10
- PLOTN: 3
- PWRCALC: 1
- QPLOT: 1
[Note: QPLOT is in fact available under HP-UX on hydra. Contact Cathy Campo for information.]
- RADIATION: 1
- RESTORE: 2
- REVIEW: 1
- S1032: 5
- SOLCALC: 3
- TSPLOT: 3
[Note: TSPLOT is available under HP-UX on d3dws4. Contact Cathy Campo for information.]
- none of the above: 32
8. What essential codes are you aware of that currently require DISSPLA?
Codes mentioned:
- EFIT: 7
- ENERGY: 2
- NONE: 8
- ONETWO: 4
- PLOTN: 5
- PWRCALC: 1
- QPLOT: 14
- RADIATION: 1
- REVIEW: 36
- TOQ: 2
- TSPLOT: 3
- none of the above: 18
9. What commercial software (programs and/or libraries) do you use on a regular basis and on what platform? (e.g. IDL on HP, JMP on the Mac, IMSL on the VAX, etc.)
Commercial Software mentioned:
- DELTAGRAPH: 6
- EUDORA: 8
- EXCEL: 18
- EXODUS: 8
- IDL: 51
- IMSL: 18
- JMP: 12
- KALEIDAGRAPH: 9
- MATHEMATICA: 1
- NAG: 2
- NCAR: 2
- NONE: 2
- PLOT10: 1
- S1032: 4
- VERSATERM: 6
- WORD: 19
- none of the above: 7
Machines mentioned:
- CRAY: 4
- HP: 41
- HYDRA: 8
- MAC: 32
- NONE: 2
- SGI: 3
- UNIX: 4
- VAX: 22
- none of the above: 7
10. Do you presently use any spreadsheet and/or databases to help in your data analysis? (e.g. Excel, S1032, etc.)
Which ones?
Commercial Software mentioned:
- DELTAGRAPH: 2
- EXCEL: 40
- IDL: 1
- JMP: 5
- KALEIDAGRAPH: 8
- NONE: 6
- PLOTN: 3
- S1032: 19
- none of the above: 16
11. Do you think you would benefit from better documentation of any of the Fusion Group's computer capabilities?
If the answer is yes, please list in order of importance what documentation you would like to see. (e.g. PTDATA Pointnames, 4D, Review, user written codes, Unix information)
Topics mentioned:
- 4D: 30
- EFIT: 14
- GADAT: 1
- ONETWO: 2
- POINTNAME: 26
- PTDATA: 22
- REVIEW: 13
- UNIX: 14
- none of the above: 25
12. Where would you prefer to look for this documentation?
- Help built-in to applications: 33
- Much important information should be provided in source code comment lines; simple, good coding practice should include at least this. Again, there should be some company *policy* for this, even if fairly broad, simply to urge code developers to follow good software design practices.: 1
- OpenVMS-style HELP screens: 8
- Printable 'DOC' files BUT, make sure the documentation is useful, too. REVIEW is an example of GOOD documentation.: 1
- Printable ASCII files is fine for me. Or an Xfiles-based tree display would be fine.: 1
- Printed manuals: 21
- Training by USC staff !!! (where appropriate) -- For me, the changeover to the HP's could have been made much more quickly and efficiently with a few introductory seminars about the basics of unix and how to convert codes from VMS. Instead, it felt like "sink or swim" and mostly I sank. Seminars might also be a more efficient use of the USC staff's time, instead of many hours of individual tutorials. I am looking forward to the IDL classes.: 1
- Unix man pages: 15
- Web-based online help: 46
asimple"XPointnames"thatwascurrentwouldbeinvaluable.: 1
13. If by magic you could create new computer programs or enhance existing ones, what functionality would you create? Please list no more than 5 in order of importance.
14. What computer hardware enhancements would you like to see implemented that would increase your productivity?
15. How do you create your presentation quality viewgraphs?
- ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR: 1
- Custom applications: 5
- DISSPLA in my own FORTRAN codes: 1
- IDL: 26
- Island Graphics: 7
- LOCUS: 1
- Macintosh applications: 50
- Plan to migrate to DeltaGraph on MAC: 1
- Powerpoint 97+ Canvas 5: 1
- Publications Group: 20
- QPLOT on the VAX: 13
- REVIEW: 1
- XFIG, LATEX: 1
- no viewgraphs: 1
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