Articles on ARYAN_GUPTA's Blog

All Done!

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 08:53:17 +0000

Hello there!

Today is the final day of my GSoC Journey. I am truly grateful for all that I have learnt the past 3 months. Here's my final overview of my work in the last week.

What did you do this week?

My mentors tested out my product and found many bugs, and advised changes for better use. As a developer, using the same features everyday, you get the feeling that users will be able to use it as easily. But its always better to have a third perspective. The best perspective is that of the users, and my mentors are exactly that. I implemented the changes (2- 3 PRs) .

The changes implemented messed up some of the tests. Not All. (Finally understood what Reimar had meant when he said that all tests should be independent from each other. Thanks for the tip!)

I worked on the Documentation, gave a small demo to the mentors, and made a demo video as well! So, a very productive final week :))

I am very happy to say that my code has been merged into the main development branch. And I'll continue to better the software from that branch now :))

What will I do next week?

I will continue to work on my skills, apart from GSoC.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I was reluctant with some of the changes.. simply because I am a bit attached to my work. But mentors pointed out changes logically, and I agreed with them too . Other than this, there was no getting stuck.

You can find my Work Submission report here. You can check out my demo video right here!

Acknowledgements

I'm thankful to my mentors Jörn, Reimar and Christian who provided immense support and motivation to persevere through all my difficulties. They sympathised with my problems and gave me ideas on how to face the challenges head on. Without their guidance, I would have been lost. I would also like to thank my GSoC mate Tanish who helped me out with my small doubts from time to time :))

I'm also grateful to MSS, PSF & the GSoC Community. This program has made me more confident about my abilities, and has strengthened my belief in the fact that passion, perseverance and patience can help you achieve wonders!

Finally, to the Open Source Community : Thank you for being so welcoming. I started from scratch and three months later, its still hard for me to believe that I developed a feature of a software :)) Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and I'll personally continue forward the Open Source spirit with my future contributions.

Week 12 : All Done!

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 07:43:01 +0000

Hello there! This was the final week of coding in GSoC 2020. Three months back, I had no confidence that I would be able to do the project. And here we are!

What did you do this week?

I spent the week writing tests for KML Overlay. I wrote tests for Automated Button clicks, checking if a feature has been plotted on the map or not, the linewidth and colour of the files. It was a long arduous process, but I'm glad I was able to complete it :))

What will I do next week?

Not much, I guess :p

I will work on the documentation and the formalities left to submit my work for Evaluation. I think thats all!

Did you get stuck anywhere?

This week was all about writing Tests. I hate writing tests. They are counter - intuitive, and almost half of the tests seem inconsequential. I do realise its importance, but I need to vent as there is so little clear documentation about Pytest, PyQt and mocking. I spent a lot of time trying to automate clicks, which should have been a much easier process.

I am really happy with the way things turned out. From a shy, hesitant person, afraid of bombing up softwares, I have become a much more confident amateur coder who has started enjoying " not knowing everything" and learning on the go. I would like to thank my mentors Joern Ungermann, Reimar Bauer and Christian Rolf for all their guidance and encouragement. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish so much without their support. I would also like to thank my GSoC mate Tanish, who helped me out with my dumb "git" doubts :)) And thanks to the Open Source Community and GSoC for giving me this opportunity to grow!

P.S. You can find my final Documentation here.

Bye!

Week 11 : Wrapping up!

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:32:33 +0000

Hello there! We are almost there, 7 days to go! I am pretty excited and proud of the work I have been able to do, plus the things that I have learnt :))

What did you do this week?

This week, I worked on the following :

Placemark Symbol - The Mentors wanted a Balloon symbol like that of Google Maps, but there were many issues ; No Unicode symbol existed for it, and if I used .png files, I would not be able to customize the colour of placemark.(Devil & Deep Sea situation)
Annotation Box : Improved UX by adding a box to display the name which is quite clearer now in the map
Made the Code more concise and readable; fixed all flake8 errors
Added a special Restore Function which saves the open files, and loads them the next time the software is run (Learnt a very important lesson here)
Added a small Documentation for KML Usage of the Test Samples

What will I do next week?

Its the final week now; I have finished all development of features, and tried out all the designs that the mentors asked , with relevant changes. This final week, I'll add as much test coverage I can to KML Overlay as I possibly can. There is some uncertainty here since I would need to mock objects to test plots on maps, so I have to figure it out.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I got stuck at the Restore Function. My logic was all correct : To add the open files in a dictionary to a destructor and save the files to disk. It had already been implemented before, so I knew the works. However, adding the dictionary to the destructor was throwing a big runtime error; about C++ objects being deleted. It was worrisome, because I had only been working with Python, and it seemed like a big error. My mentor was able to assist me in this bug, which was caused due to me being blindsided to the fact that I was trying to save "patch objects" as well in the dictionary. Those objects were being deleted when the destructor was called. So , this was an important lesson for me.

Week 10

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:42:47 +0000

What did you do this week?

I finally fixed up all the bugs that were there. KML Overlay is totally functional and useful now! I also added extra features, which means that any kind of KML File can be parsed, displayed without crashing.

What will I do next week?

Ill finally start working on writing tests. The mentors have asked for some changes in the features, so I'll work on that too. Other than basic design customization, the KML Overlay is quite ready :))

Did I get stuck anywhere?

No, this week went by quite smoothly, and I got a lot of stuff ticked on my To-Do list :))

Week 9 : Testing Phase 2

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:22:13 +0000

Hello! This is the start of the third and final month of the GSoC program :)) Its time to tie up loose strings, and patch up the work in a good form :))

What did you do this week?

I started writing tests for the KML Overlay file. I read a lot about Testing : Pytest, Assert, Mocking, Patch, Decorators etc. I also went through tests from other files to get a gist of how to write tests, and the type of mindset required to write them.

Since my work on tests is a bit slow owing to my novice-ness and experimentation, I also decided to finish up 2 other work-points :

1. Enhancing KML Features : Added MultiGeometry functionality, and improved code

2. Collecting Test Samples : KML File samples to test out different parsing and displaying capabilities of the software

What is coming up next?

Test writing will take up the major part of my week. I would also like to finish up with the OGC Conformance Suit for Validating KML Files, and creating packages for samples. It will lead to a major reduction in my workload for the following weeks (since online classes will be starting as well).

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I have been having tough time writing tests. I am going through various test cases, and its particularly tough since I have to test if the right image is being displayed. In my mind, I can think how to do it, but its not easy to convert it into code.

Hope I am able to finish these up by next week :))

Week 8 : Testing Phase 1

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 03:26:13 +0000

Hello Everyone!

What did you do this week?

This week I started working on writing tests. Tests are really important to software development. I read on about Pytest and concepts such as mocking. I had an idea of automating the process of clicking buttons, but I realised through the week that it wasn't going to be as easy as that. I had to make minor changes in my code to make it 'testable'. I could accomplish testing of KML Files parsing through lots of research and experimenting. I still have a long way to go!

What is coming up next?

This week will inevitably go into writing (better) tests, and increasing test coverage. I will do my best to provide tests for all the features that I've added in the past 2 months. There are certain other features that my mentor has asked me to modify in the KML Overlay. I will try working on them as well.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

Writing Tests is quite tough. There is a certain mindset to keep while writing them. For example, I wrote a test designed to throw up an error in the software;all this time I was trying not to cause an error haha.. This is another role , from the other side of the mirror, that I need to get a hang of.

Looking forward to an interesting week :))

Week 7 : Completion of Multiple KML Overlay UI

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 04:03:05 +0000

After 7 weeks worth of coding, researching , experimenting and implementing, I have completed the KML Overlay UI! Feeling good, and quite confident now :))

A user can now do the following in the KML Overlay :

Add and Load KML Files
Remove selected files, or remove all
Customize each file w.r.t color, linewidth
Overwrite the original KML with modified features
Merge multiple KML Files into one, and export as .kml file

What did you do this week?

On discussing with my mentors, I decided to finish off the last feature for the Overlay, i.e. the Merge KML Files feature. Looking at it, it looks like I only wrote 40 - 50 lines of code, but the whole week was spent researching and experimenting, so I could write the logic in those perfect 40 - 50 odd lines of code :))

Researching on the net, Merging KML Files is not a popular source of discussion. I barely found related material, and it was mostly based on combing KML/XML i.e. similar tags be grouped together. Since I wish to display lots of data on the map, it wasn't the feasible way. I tried out a lot of experiments : how to join different files, how to delete conflicting data (eg. namespaces), how to arrange the data in a human readable format as well.

I finally came up with the logic of copying elements from each file, inserting a new root of <Folder> on each of them, and putting them all inside a folder. Each file would have its namespace removed to avoid conflictions of data. And it worked!!

What is coming up next?

All major features have been completed. Its time to start writing tests! Its going to be really tough.. I have never written tests before, and I would have to write a lot of them to test the capabilities of my work :))

Did you get stuck anywhere?

The whole process of coding is getting stuck, researching, solving and moving on. I got 'stuck' implementing the logic for the above, as I was using lxml, and most of the resources online were using xml.ElementTree, which has quite stark differences. This led to me experimenting, and double checking each line of code that I wrote.

Looking forward to a great week!

Thanks for reading :))

Week 6 : Refining the KML UI Features

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 08:12:10 +0000

Week 5 had been so smooth! I was covering up features daily. Progress was so sharp! I had around 3 to 4 features left to implement for this week. And my major part of the project would be over. And then it all went down.

'Most plans do not survive the contact with reality. Which isn't an excuse for not planning at all, but one shouldn't believe too much about projections into the future.' - Joern Ungermann , my mentor.

What did you do this week?

I started the week on a high, enthused with the smooth accomplishment of features everyday. My main task was to add a customize functionality to each KML File. Each KML File could have their own color, linewidth, and could be easily added, removed, displayed and saved. One simple task.

I could not do it.

I tried on Monday, wasnt able to do it. 'lets try tomorrow again". Tuesday, Wednesday passed. By Thursday, I was on edge; I wasn't making any headway in the feature, I hadn't updated my mentors. Thursday night, I realised what I had to do. And it literally frightened me.

I had been using two different lists to store data. One list to run the files, another to run the patches for plotting. I realized, I had to change the data structure on which I had built the entire project.

I slept on it. Started working from Friday, day and night, replaced each and every part, transformed it all into a dictionary storing information about the file , patch , linewidth and colour. I worked all weekend on it. Sunday night, I was finally able to display individual color and linewidth for each and every KML File. I was so happy!! And the peaceful sleep that I had :))))

I could have just written " Finished adding functionality to customize UI for KML Files" , but somehow it just didnt do justice to my journey to achieve it :P

What is coming up next?

Now, I expect major features to be finished. I need to add "Merge KML File" functionality. Other than that, I need to write tests and collect KML samples to test out my features. So, I'll be working on that!

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I think I pretty much discussed it above. I had to rebase my entire project's data structure, and rebuild it into a dictionary, which after quite a lot of hard work, I was successfully able to do :))

See you next week!!

Week 5 : Adding Functionality to the UI

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 11:55:38 +0000

The first phase of coding is over, and I am really happy that I passed :)) 4 weeks back, I wasn't sure of my capabilities, but every day now feels good; like I am going to accomplish a lot! Every week has been productive, but this week, I was able to accomplish lots of features, which really made my mentors happy :))

What did you do this week?

Since the UI Design had been done, I spent this week adding functionalities to the buttons, removing bugs. Not sure if it would make sense without the UI, but here is what I did last week :

Multiple Files can now be added simultaneously
Multiple Files can be displayed simultaneously
Extra buttons like Remove and Remove All for clearing the list
Double clicking on any KML file in the listWidget opens up a custom dialog box UI.
Bug fixing is done.
Single button "Add KML File" for adding & loading multiple KML Files simultaneously
Enhancement --> duplicate files are not loaded again.
Reduced Size of ListWidget; will get further removed after removing extra part of UI (colours, linewidth layout)
check uncheck feature to load KML layer

What is coming up next?

I am mostly done with the part, but still 2 3 important features are left and they are tough to implement :

Add functionality to KML Overlay checkbox ( Disabled at the moment in UI)
Add functionality for customize UI for individual KML Files
Add functionality to Merge KML Files button

If I am able to do this, it would be a strong boost to my work, as I would be done with the main aim of my project!
If time permits, I'll start writing tests too.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I was on such a roll, that I wanted to finish the whole feature last week. But there is a method plot_kml, which has confounded me. Sometimes I think I understand it, but it slips out. Its crucial to the remaining features, so I have to work it out!

See you next week :))

Week 4 : Working on the UI

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:04:49 +0000

Hello there! Here's a quick update on my work this week, and then I'll hop back to it :P

What did you do this week?

I had designed a UI Dialog Box which opens on the press of a button. You could add the KML files to it, remove it , order it .. the works. However, as things go in development, the mentors suggested changes; the UI should be incorporated in the original UI. I was a bit sad, but I still made the changes. Now the UI looks good, and I admit, there wasn't much need of an extra UI element haha. (Listen to your mentors fellas!)

What is coming up next?

Some functionality is still left; Individual customization , loading multiple files and more! I will work on it, and hopefully be done with this section of my work by the end of the week!

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I am currently stuck at the Load push button. Its supposed to load all checked files, but its only loading the last checked file. Maybe its an overwrite situation, maybe something i overlooked? Stay tuned to hear more!

Update : Fixed it!

Week 3 : Fixing Bugs and Multiple KML File UI

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 12:10:00 +0000

Hello there!

I really liked working this week! The work was a bit relaxed , less stressful. I also learnt new things, and saw my code being "pushed to its limits". Read on!

What did you do this week?

I was supposed to start working on the UI for adding Multiple KML Files. The main aim of my project is to be able to display multiple KML Files on the screen simultaneously, using which users can derive important information from the maps!

I spent my week fixing a major bug (mentioned below). I also drew up a better UI and worked on the frontend implementation.

What is coming up next?

After Frontend, I will be dealing with the backend. It will be tough, as I'll have to deal with PyQt, and our implementation of the code. I have also created a working branch for writing tests for kmloverlaydockwidget.py file. These will take up major chunks of my time :))

Did you get stuck anywhere?

Like I said, 'supposed to'. I had made a rough draft of the UI, and was going to improve on it, when a mentor found a bug in my code while running a KML file. I saw the error and understood the issue at once. While I was working on migration, there were few snippets of code, which did not make much sense to me. And since my implementation was working without them, it felt best to 'let it be'.

My foolhardiness was accentuated by the fact that I was testing my code on 20 odd lines of KML, not taking into account every case. I was happy that my code was working, I did not check if my code was working perfectly i.e. for all cases. My mentor supplied me with the kml file he had used and it was over 7000 lines! I realised the implications of the software on a larger scale for the first time! I sat down, and understood each line, made more changes, and finally, my code was able to run the kml file! I was ecstatic to see the plot on the map. It was beautiful!

Thankfully, my 2 PRs have been accepted, and I am working hard to finish my next WIP pull request :))

Hoping for good things for this week :)))

Week 2 : Complete Migration to Fastkml

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 13:07:06 +0000

Hello there!

The Second week was much tougher than the first. Its becoming tougher and more interesting day by day!

What did you do this week?

In Week #1, I had added Fastkml support to kml overlay. However, not all dependencies were working. I spent the week solving all the issues making sure that all KML data was being parsed and the right info was being displayed.

KML focuses on mainly 3 things :

Object (Document, Folder, Placemark)
Style
Geometry

and it was very tough to get them all working in sync. I ran through numerous KML Test samples to check the code, and made changes accordingly.

What is coming up next?

Discussions with my mentors are very fruitful! After a long talk, we decided that the most suitable step next is to add the feature of "Displaying Multiple KML files" together. This is an important feature and I'm glad that its starting early, because it will take me some time to understand , and implement.This week, Ill work on the UI and working with PyQt for the above implementation. I also have to write tests for kmloverlay file, and make the implementation more code-elegant.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

Yes! Currently, we use iterative and recursive functions to parse through KML files. However, Fastkml creates objects to call function for deriving specific information. This week's work involved a lot of documentation, experimentation, frustration , but due to consistent work and patience, I got the code working perfectly!

Hoping for good things for this week :)))

Week 1 : Adding Fastkml Support

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Sun, 07 Jun 2020 16:26:44 +0000

Hello there!

I have finished with my first week of coding, and it was quite intensive! This week was an icebreaker, started a bit rough, but now it feels much smoother.

What did you do this week?

As proposed by the mentors, I had to shift the codebase from using lxml API for kml, and shift it to a much more convenient Fastkml. I have completed the major part of it i.e. the parsing, and I am working on the display portion. Also, I did a Bandit run on Fastkml, which threw up 6 Security Issues, and I was able to solve 4 of it. The other 2 require switching the whole fastkml library from lxml dependency to defusedxml, and required functions were not available in that library.

What is coming up next?

My plan for the next two weeks involve adding External Map Images as well support for Screen / Photo Overlay. I will also be working on the new tests required due to the shift in libraries, and finishing up with the Fastkml Support.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

Yes. I had to deal with 3 libraries ( lxml, defusexml,fastkml), all inter dependent on each other, which was a sure hassle. Another roadblock was while using Fastkml instead of lxml in the codebase. The lxml API returns an object which can be used to call functions, while fastkml doesn't, which led to a total transformation of ```kmloverlay_dockwidget.py``` file. But, I was able to get through it, by giving the code enough time and thought.

Needless to say, I have learnt a lot, and looking forward to the next week!

Week 0 : Checking in :))

aryangupta973@gmail.com (ARYAN_GUPTA) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 09:29:18 +0000

Hi there, I am Aryan Gupta and during GSoC'20, I will be contributing to Mission Support System under PSF. I'll be working on enhancing KML support in MSS!

What did you do this week?

As the Community Bonding Period came to an end, my focus shifted from reading KML documentation, to going through relevant codebase and testing. As per discussions with my mentors, I realised that testing is quite an important part of the project, and I gave adequate time working on pytest, and improving the test coverage for MSS.

What is coming up next?

The coding period starts today! I have two tasks to accomplish this week : Adding FastKML Support & solving relevant issues caught by Bandit, and displaying the recently loaded KML files in the Browse Option.

Did you get stuck anywhere?

I was a bit intimidated by the new technologies that I got to know while researching. But I figured, that given enough time and focus, I'll be able to accomplish my project :))

Time to get back to coding!