Deprecating and Removing a Field or Parameter
Definitions
- Deprecation means that when the field or parameter is used, GMAT will throw a warning saying that the field or parameter will be removed at a later date, but still works for now. The message should state which field replaces this one, if applicable.
- Removal means that the field or parameter is no longer available in GMAT, and cannot be used.
Is there a third category? "Ignored" for fields and parameters that are simply ignored.
Key Questions
(The following apply to both fields and parameters.)
- Was the field intentionally available?
- Was the field available in the last public release?
- Is the field used in the test system?
- Did the field work? Did it have an effect?
Recommendations
Deprecate the field if the following conditions are met:
- If the field is used extensively in the test system (e.g. more than a couple days' work to rewrite the tests), OR
- If the field is both operational AND available in a previous public release.
Recommendation for deprecation: remove after 2 releases or 1 year, whichever comes first.
If these conditions are not met, remove the field.
The table below shows all permutations of the key questions:
| Intentionally available? | Publicly available? | Significant use by test system? | Is field operational? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
| ? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Remove |
? | ? | ? | ? | Remove |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Remove |
? | ? | ? | ? | Deprecate |
? | ? | ? | ? | Remove |