Re: [Help-glpk] glpk, java and more

[Andrew Makhorin]

> I am an happy user of GLPK for several years, and I would like to
> contribute to it. However, I do not want to do something which is 
> already being done, or which is irrelevant. I list below my main ideas, 
> which are either propositions for contribution, or suggestion for 
> further development. I'd be happy to have some feedback on them.

Thank you for your interest in glpk.

>    My main concerns are:
>    - is there any similar on-going efforts? (to avoid redundant work)
>    - once job is done, how to integrate it to GLPK?
> On this second matter, bindings and such should be kept separated from
> the core project; however, their existence should be advertised somehow, 
> I believe. The glpk page on gnu.org just gathers the essentials about 
> the core C programs (which is alright) and, as far as I know, there is 
> no place that gathers all glpk-related pieces of information (like a 
> wiki, or so). Is there any plan to create such official site?

It would be great. Unfortunately I do not know who could provide
a web space to organize such site. I could ask to create the site on
one of the department's servers (in Moscow Aviation Institute), but for
some reasons it is not a good idea (for example, only department members
can have an access to the site). Using a free web hosting seems to me
unreliable; besides, such service provides only a limited web space.
The glpk project is registered on savannah.gnu.org , but probably it
is the wrong place, say, to store executables or large data files,
because that site is intended mainly for development.

> There exist java bindings (http://bjoern.dapnet.de/glpk/) but they are 
> out-of-date and, as far as I know, not developed any more. This is my 
> major concern (I need this for teaching), therefore I plan to update and 
> maintain such bindings if there is no similar effort.

> Is there any plan for an emacs-mode for GNU MathProg and GLPK? 
> Similarly, is there any plan for a style-sheet for a2ps?

Does a2ps mean ascii to postscript conversion? If so, I would suggest
to consider conversion to pdf, because now, AFAIK, the pdf format is
standardized by ISO.

> Now, about the core C programs...

> What about internationalizing the code? Messages are all English. What 
> about using GNU gettext to provide translation facility?

Probably it would be reasonable. The problem is that many glpk routines
are still in a crude state.

> Last, on a technical issue: is there any plan to implement the 
> Feasibility Pump heuristic that quickly finds feasible solutions to MIP? 
>   Whenever a MIP takes to long to be solved, it is very valuable.

I implemented this heuristic a while ago. But I still do not have enough
time to test it and integrate it into the package.


Andrew Makhorin