Rep Plus 2.0 Released
24/06/21 16:27
Today we released the much awaited V2.0 of Rep Plus. This is an important release for Mac users as it is a 64-bit app that runs under Catalina and Big Sur, and is also available natively compiled for Apple's new M1 ARM chip. In addition it has been notarized by Apple so that it will install without having to use System Preferences to override security. It is also compiled as a 64bit app for Windows, and has enhanced features for all platforms that are documented in the release notes and manuals.
PrinGrid can now compute a Voronoi diagram to cluster the elements in a principal components analysis. A Voronoi diagram divides a space of plotted locations into polygons enclosing each location such that each point within the polygon is closer to that location than to any other location. This provides a visual clustering on a principal components analysis that does not interfere with the original plot, is easy to understand, and provides new insights into the relations between the elements. In recent years Voronoi diagrams have become popular in the conceptual spaces research community, and provide further support for studies of Kelly’s notion of psychological space.
Classes in RepGrid can be exported not only as textual descriptions, but also as logical expressions and as graphical conceptual nets in RepNet. The nets can run the CNet scripts to exhibit anticipatory behaviour. This provides further support for research involving Kelly’s theories of anticipation, predication and action, and their links to studies of artificial intelligence.
Textual analyses are output as styled text/tables in RepDoc, a new document processing application that is part of Rep Plus. RepDoc is similar to standard word processors in supporting pagination, typographic styling, tabs and soft returns, tables and embedded figures. It stores documents in a human-readable XML format, and exports them through copy/paste and drag/drop in RTF that can be read by most document processors such as Microsoft Word. Both textual and graphic analyses can be pasted or dragged to a RepDoc document used, for example, as a research notebook.
WebGrid also supports the new RepGrid analyses such as Synopsis and Voronoi diagrams.
The RepGrid, RepGrids, RepNet, and RepServe manuals have been updated, and a new manual issued for RepDoc. The RepGrid and RepGrids manuals have been greatly expanded to be more tutorial and incorporate additional research material and citations. The RepServe manual describes how to offer WebGrid securely over the Internet. We are also working on an updated manual for RepScript, and new manuals for WebGrid and CNet.
Many thanks to the beta test users who have provided so much useful feedback.
PrinGrid can now compute a Voronoi diagram to cluster the elements in a principal components analysis. A Voronoi diagram divides a space of plotted locations into polygons enclosing each location such that each point within the polygon is closer to that location than to any other location. This provides a visual clustering on a principal components analysis that does not interfere with the original plot, is easy to understand, and provides new insights into the relations between the elements. In recent years Voronoi diagrams have become popular in the conceptual spaces research community, and provide further support for studies of Kelly’s notion of psychological space.
Classes in RepGrid can be exported not only as textual descriptions, but also as logical expressions and as graphical conceptual nets in RepNet. The nets can run the CNet scripts to exhibit anticipatory behaviour. This provides further support for research involving Kelly’s theories of anticipation, predication and action, and their links to studies of artificial intelligence.
Textual analyses are output as styled text/tables in RepDoc, a new document processing application that is part of Rep Plus. RepDoc is similar to standard word processors in supporting pagination, typographic styling, tabs and soft returns, tables and embedded figures. It stores documents in a human-readable XML format, and exports them through copy/paste and drag/drop in RTF that can be read by most document processors such as Microsoft Word. Both textual and graphic analyses can be pasted or dragged to a RepDoc document used, for example, as a research notebook.
WebGrid also supports the new RepGrid analyses such as Synopsis and Voronoi diagrams.
The RepGrid, RepGrids, RepNet, and RepServe manuals have been updated, and a new manual issued for RepDoc. The RepGrid and RepGrids manuals have been greatly expanded to be more tutorial and incorporate additional research material and citations. The RepServe manual describes how to offer WebGrid securely over the Internet. We are also working on an updated manual for RepScript, and new manuals for WebGrid and CNet.
Many thanks to the beta test users who have provided so much useful feedback.
Open Source Experiments
09/01/21 16:16
Mildred and I retired 21 years ago and have begun to plan how Rep Plus may continue be made available when we are no longer around to support it. We are working with the University of Victoria, BC, to establish a project to support the software and ensure that it continues to function as OS X and Windows evolve.
As part of this endeavour we have recently purchased full title to the Formatted Text Control (FTC) product from the company that used to sell it. We use this in RepDoc for presenting and editing styled textual output from Rep Plus analyses. This purchase will allow us to make Rep Plus open source at some stage without violating any one else's property rights.
FTC is used by a number of other developers and we making it freely available open source to involve others in its support and gain experience on open source projects. We will also make our fixes and enhancements freely available.
As part of this endeavour we have recently purchased full title to the Formatted Text Control (FTC) product from the company that used to sell it. We use this in RepDoc for presenting and editing styled textual output from Rep Plus analyses. This purchase will allow us to make Rep Plus open source at some stage without violating any one else's property rights.
FTC is used by a number of other developers and we making it freely available open source to involve others in its support and gain experience on open source projects. We will also make our fixes and enhancements freely available.
Rep Plus V2.0 Development
07/11/20 11:13
Over the past year we have been working on major enhancements of Rep Plus that we plan to release in Version 2.
The planned enhancements are:-
64bit compilation for both OS X and Windows
One priority has been to develop a 64bit version that will be compatible with OS X Catalina, and will also be 64bit application under Windows. This version was released to testes some months ago and is now working successfully.
Improved security for WebGrid
WebGrid was designed to be open-architecture from its inception in 1993 so that it styling and functionality could be customized by its users and multimedia annotation of elements was supported.
This has been very successful over the years and is an important feature with those studying special communities, such as young children, where a simplified user interface, larger typefaces, and so on, are desirable.
Colleagues have also used the open-architecture features to integrate WebGrid with their own web applications in a seamless fashion.
However, some IT services have raised concerns about the capability to incorporate one's own HTML and CSS in WebGrid pages being used for malicious purposes.
Hence, in consultation with users, we have restricted HTML and CSS injection to filter out code that might be used to trick users into problematic situations.
In so doing, the techniques for customizing WebGrid have been simplified and become easier to explain so, hopefully, more users will be able to take advantage of the open architecture.
New grid analysis techniques
We have experimented with many grid analysis techniques but only issue those that are well-founded, appropriate to rating scale data, simple to enable those from whom grids have been elicited to gain greater understanding. One major objective has been to extend PrinGrid with clustering so that the relations between elements in the plots are more apparent, as they are in FOCUS. However, most standard clustering techniques we have implemented have resulted in a loss perspicuous plot.
In recent years Voronoi diagrams have become popular in the *conceptual spaces* research community. A Voronoi diagram divides a space of plotted locations into polygons enclosing each location such that each point within the polygon is closer to that location than to any other location. This provides a visual clustering on a principal components analysis that does not interfere with the original plot, is easy to understand, and provides new insights into the relations between the elements. It will be issued in Rep Plus 2.0 and is currently available on the WebGrid servers at the University of Victoria.
RepDoc and RepScript editors for Rep Plus text output and program scripts
RepDoc is a word processor that supports styled text, embedded images, style definitions, layout, pagination, printing and export to RTF. It enables text output from Rep Plus analyses to be fully styled and pasted into papers, reports, theses, and so on, with that styling. It allows the styles to be edited to conform with the requirements of a publisher, and graphic output and comments to be added to the document.
RepScript is a script editor for scripts in the RepScript language that formats and colours them to make their structures clear.
The planned enhancements are:-
64bit compilation for both OS X and Windows
One priority has been to develop a 64bit version that will be compatible with OS X Catalina, and will also be 64bit application under Windows. This version was released to testes some months ago and is now working successfully.
Improved security for WebGrid
WebGrid was designed to be open-architecture from its inception in 1993 so that it styling and functionality could be customized by its users and multimedia annotation of elements was supported.
This has been very successful over the years and is an important feature with those studying special communities, such as young children, where a simplified user interface, larger typefaces, and so on, are desirable.
Colleagues have also used the open-architecture features to integrate WebGrid with their own web applications in a seamless fashion.
However, some IT services have raised concerns about the capability to incorporate one's own HTML and CSS in WebGrid pages being used for malicious purposes.
Hence, in consultation with users, we have restricted HTML and CSS injection to filter out code that might be used to trick users into problematic situations.
In so doing, the techniques for customizing WebGrid have been simplified and become easier to explain so, hopefully, more users will be able to take advantage of the open architecture.
New grid analysis techniques
We have experimented with many grid analysis techniques but only issue those that are well-founded, appropriate to rating scale data, simple to enable those from whom grids have been elicited to gain greater understanding. One major objective has been to extend PrinGrid with clustering so that the relations between elements in the plots are more apparent, as they are in FOCUS. However, most standard clustering techniques we have implemented have resulted in a loss perspicuous plot.
In recent years Voronoi diagrams have become popular in the *conceptual spaces* research community. A Voronoi diagram divides a space of plotted locations into polygons enclosing each location such that each point within the polygon is closer to that location than to any other location. This provides a visual clustering on a principal components analysis that does not interfere with the original plot, is easy to understand, and provides new insights into the relations between the elements. It will be issued in Rep Plus 2.0 and is currently available on the WebGrid servers at the University of Victoria.
RepDoc and RepScript editors for Rep Plus text output and program scripts
RepDoc is a word processor that supports styled text, embedded images, style definitions, layout, pagination, printing and export to RTF. It enables text output from Rep Plus analyses to be fully styled and pasted into papers, reports, theses, and so on, with that styling. It allows the styles to be edited to conform with the requirements of a publisher, and graphic output and comments to be added to the document.
RepScript is a script editor for scripts in the RepScript language that formats and colours them to make their structures clear.
OS X Issues
18/09/18 15:07
Apple have placed restrictions on applications from unknown developers that were preventing the Mac OS X versions of Rep Plus V1.1 from operating correctly because they prevented access to the associated default script files.
We have worked around this in an updated release that is now available and has been tested under Sierra and High Sierra.
If you wish to run Rep Plus under OS X please download the latest version.
We have worked around this in an updated release that is now available and has been tested under Sierra and High Sierra.
If you wish to run Rep Plus under OS X please download the latest version.
Customizing WebGrid
28/07/18 14:10
WebGrid pages are generated through scripts that are readily changed to present alternative capabilities to the users.
For example, some researchers have developed scripts that present simplified pages with larger typefaces for use in studies with children. Others have translated the WebGrid dialogue into their national languages for use by those not fluent in English.
The WebGrid server is part of the freely available Rep Plus software so that one can experiment with scripting on one's local computer, and develop versions of WebGrid customized for one's own studies.
These customized versions are easily used on a local intranet such as that of a computer laboratory or classroom. They may also be made more widely available on a Windows server accessible through the Internet.
Setting up an Internet server usually requires support from an institution's IT Services who are naturally concerned about security issues. WebGrid was designed to be defensive against security breaches. It has been tested by IT Services at a number of institutions and found to be secure if the procedures detailed in the RepServe manual are implemented.
WebGrid is also designed to support multiple scripts and it is possible to host customized versions on the existing Internet servers without it interfering with the normal operation.
Contact us if you need help with developing scripts, have customized versions you would like to run on an existing server, or your IT Services have questions about setting up a WebGrid server at your institution.
For example, some researchers have developed scripts that present simplified pages with larger typefaces for use in studies with children. Others have translated the WebGrid dialogue into their national languages for use by those not fluent in English.
The WebGrid server is part of the freely available Rep Plus software so that one can experiment with scripting on one's local computer, and develop versions of WebGrid customized for one's own studies.
These customized versions are easily used on a local intranet such as that of a computer laboratory or classroom. They may also be made more widely available on a Windows server accessible through the Internet.
Setting up an Internet server usually requires support from an institution's IT Services who are naturally concerned about security issues. WebGrid was designed to be defensive against security breaches. It has been tested by IT Services at a number of institutions and found to be secure if the procedures detailed in the RepServe manual are implemented.
WebGrid is also designed to support multiple scripts and it is possible to host customized versions on the existing Internet servers without it interfering with the normal operation.
Contact us if you need help with developing scripts, have customized versions you would like to run on an existing server, or your IT Services have questions about setting up a WebGrid server at your institution.