Let's remove Arden package from Platform 2.0

[burke (Burke Mamlin)]

Continuing the discussion from How can I call an Arden Syntax MLM file in Java?:

@maany, the org.openmrs.arden.* package is an artifact from long ago and is not being maintained. Let’s use the opportunity of an imminent Platform 2.0 release to drop this package from openmrs-core:

TRUNK-4838

This doesn’t have to be done for the beta release, but it’s very likely that the org.openmrs.arden package could simply be deleted from core without causing any problems, since there shouldn’t be any code depending on it.

[tmdugan (Tammy Dugan)]

Before dropping it, make sure it is put in a module and tested. We are using it in production for CHICA. It can’t completely go away.

[burke (Burke Mamlin)]

@tmdugan

Before dropping it, make sure it is put in a module and tested. We are using it in production for CHICA. It can’t completely go away.

Removing the arden package from Platform 2.0 won’t prevent anyone from moving the package into a module, since the code will still be in all earlier versions of the Platform. But I’m a little confused:

How can I call an Arden Syntax MLM file in Java?

I can clarify a few things. We are using the Arden Service with OpenMRS 1.7.x. We have a new version of the parser that uses Arden2Bytecode that is much better. The old version has some problems and is not Arden compliant. I am familiar with the parser code and can answer questions about it if needed. Vibha wrote the grammar for the parser and I wrote most of the java translation to logic rules. We have the code changes for OpenMRS in an private IU repository at the moment. If you are interested…

In your comment, you said “We have a new version of the parser that uses Arden2Bytecode that is much better.” The org.openmrs.arden package in openmrs-core doesn’t appear to be maintained, so I assumed you’re maintaining the Arden parser you mentioned somewhere else. If so, would that be what we’d want to put into a module instead of the old code in openmrs-core?

[tmdugan (Tammy Dugan)]

@burke

I assumed you’re maintaining the Arden parser you mentioned somewhere else.

We are maintaining the newer parser code in a private IU github repository. After checking with Dr. Downs, I may have jumped the gun a bit by assuming we can share the code. We are trying to commercialize CHICA and potentially making some code proprietary so I’ll share the code if I’m able but will need to discuss it further with Steve.

[shekhar (Shekharreddy Mittapelly)]

@tmdugan @burke

Hi all I am working on TRUNK-4838 - Remove org.openmrs.arden package from core where the remaining work is to move the Arden package to a separate module, I need some help from you guys to get it done.

1. Can I get a small example on how Arden package is used in openmrs.

[burke (Burke Mamlin)]

Thanks @shekhar. I updated the summary and closed TRUNK-4838. We do not need to move the Arden code into a module at this time. The only group we know using Arden within OpenMRS is the CHICA group and they are using an updated version within a private repository. If/when someone should want to move the Arden code from OpenMRS core into a module, they can still easily find it within the repository history or within any of the many tagged versions that were released containing the Arden code in the past.

Thanks for your help with TRUNK-4838!

-Burke

[sjmckee (Steve McKee)]

We use it here: https://github.com/CHIRDL-Openmrs-Modules/dss/blob/master/src/org/openmrs/module/dss/CompilingClassLoader.java

[burke (Burke Mamlin)]

@sjmckee, ArdenService has been removed from the platform as of Platform 2.0+. If/when the DSS module needs to run against OpenMRS Platform 2.0+, it will need to be refactored to use the enhanced Arden service provided by CHICA (not currently open source) or the old (pre-2.0) org.openmrs.arden.* package will need to be moved into a module at that time.