[cme-dev] feature suggestion: predicates based on queries

[Stan Sutton <suttons@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

I'd like to suggest that we add a feature
to the UI to provide support for predicates, i.e., boolean expressions
over concern models.

There are at least a few forms that
a predicate language could take.  To start with, though, I'd be content
with an adaptation of our current query language.  For example, I'd
like to be able to test whether the results of evaluating one query were
the same as, a subset of, or disjoint from the results of evaluating another
query.  (Not that I might not enjoy being able to evaluate some more
complicated expressions.  :-)  )

Also, to start with it would be a big
step to have a predicate-oriented version of the current query and results
views, i.e., somewhere a user could formulate, evaluate, and possibly save
predicates.  That would at least support the manual testing of things
like the correctness, consistency, and completeness of concern models.

It would also be nice to be able to
attach predicates to concerns, as we do now with queries, but as a way
of specifying and possibly enforcing consistency conditions.  Enforcement
is a sizeable and tricky issue, but just being able to attach predicates
to concerns, and perhaps having a button that would allow a user to manually
evaluate the predicates attached to a concern model, would be a big step.

Regards,

Stan