Subject: Prototype PICT release 1.0

From: Roger Hockney <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997 16:31:07 +0100

At their last meeting the Parkbench Committee recommended that an
interactive curve fitting tool be produced for the postprocessing and
parametrisation of Parkbench results using the latest Internet Web
technology. I have produced a prototype of such a tool as a Java applet
running on a Web page on the user's machine and called it PICT
(Parkbench Interactive Curve-fitting Tool). This is now ready for
evaluation and testing by the committee.

The tool provides the following features:

(1) Automatic plotting of Low-Level Parkbench output files from a URL
anywhere on the Web (At present limited to New COMMS1 and Raw data, but
easily extended to original COMMS1 and RINF1). This is useful for a
quick comparison of raw data.

(2) Automatic plotting of both 2 and 3-parameter curve-fits which are
produce by the benchmarks. Good for checking the quality of the fits.

(3) Allows manual rescaling of the graph range to suit the data, either
by typing in the required range values or by dragging out a range box
with the mouse.

(4) Allows the 2-parameter and 3-parameter performance curves to be
manually moved about the graph in order to fine tune the fits. The curve
follows the mouse and the RMS and MAX percentage errors are shown as the
curve moves. Alternatively parameter values can be typed in and the
Manual button pressed when the curve for these values will be plotted.

(5) The data file being plotted can be VIEWed and a HELP button provides
a description of the action of each button in a separate windows.

The PICT applet has been built on top of Leigh Brookshaw's 2D plotting
package the URL for which is given at the bottom of the HELP window. The
features under the RESTART button are in his original code, I have just
added the 2-PARA and 3-PARA features.

The applet was developed using JDK1.0 beta on a PC with a 1600x1200
display and works on the PC both locally and from my Web page with
appletview, MSIE 3.02 and Netscape 3.01. It has also been successfully
run on a Solaris Sun with NS3.01, but another Sun user has reported no
graphs and errors due to "wrong applet version". So please report your
experiences (both success and failure please) to me with all the
details.

To play with PICT turn your browser to:

     http://www.minnow.demon.co.uk/pict/source/pict1.html  or 
                                               pict1a.html 

pict1.html asks for 1000x732 pixels and suits PCs best (it's about the
minimum useful size).

pict1a.html asks for 1020x900 pixels and was necessary for the whole
applet to visible on the Sun.

For those wishing to look closer all the source is provided and should
be downloadable. Suggestions for improvement, corrections or
constructive criticism are solicited.

I have asked for an agenda item to be included for the Parkbench meeting
on 11 Sept in Southampton so that PICT can be discussed. I look forward
to seeing some of you there.
-- 
Roger Hockney.  Checkout my new Web page at URL   http://www.minnow.demon.co.uk
University of   and link to my new book: "The Science of Computer Benchmarking"
Westminster UK  suggestions welcome. Know any fish movies or suitable links?