Programs for Distributed Computing: The Calendar Application,
Abstract
The calendar application involves a wide range of issues in distributed computing, from implementation of distributed data bases to design of a user interface that will enable the user to comprehend the complex distributed environment in which he is working. This memo summarizes current status of design and implementation of calendars. Sections 2 and 3 are taken from a progress report of March 1980 and section 4 is an update to that report including current status plans. We began our design of calendar systems with the intention of focussing on implementation issues, particularly those of communication, sharing of data, and the use of forms as the standard interface among modules. To assure variety in our implementation experience, we generated alternative designs of calendars. Implementations of several of them are now underway. During later design phases we became more interested in the functionality of the calendar and its user interface. To some extent the use of forms as the communication medium shapes the human interface as well as the process-to-process interface. Also, some aspects of the functionality, most notably the notion of 'tentative meeting' have arisen from analysis of the distributed implementation. Section two is a report on the functionality of the calendars we are building. Section three is about the distributed implementation. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA087357
Entities
People
- Irene Greif
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology