New Features

Timeline

User-requested features to consider for development

• onlyZoom option (do not correlate any non-zoom-bands)
• mpifxcorr/checkmpifxcorr : check and warn if frequencies are not integer Hz
• difxcalc : verify supplied EOPs bracket the observation

Timeline

• DiFX 2.8 was branched on Nov 4, 2022
• DiFX 2.8.1 was tagged on Mar 22, 2022 and announced on Mar 29, 2022

Significant Changes

• Output bands
• Python3
• vex2 support
• See DiFX 2.8.1 for more details

Timeline

• Branching was performed on Mar 8, 2019
• DiFX 2.6.1 was tagged on July 29, 2019
• DiFX 2.6.2 was tagged on Sep 11, 2020

Significant Changes

• Much improved Mark6 support
• Improved support for various VDIF data varieties
• See DiFX 2.6.1 for more details
• See DiFX 2.6.2 for bugs fixed since 2.6.1

Timeline

• DiFX-2.5 branch date: Tue May 16, 2017 (completed)
• install-difx tool, genipppc, setup* updated for 2.5 Branch: ?
• Draft release notes completed on wiki: mid June
• Proposed release (tag as 2.5.1, email difx-users): mid July, 2017, pending no problems
• DiFX 2.5.2 was tagged on Mar 23, 2018 and released Mar 26, 2018
• Work is underway for a 2.5.4 tag to support certain VGOS needs (Mar 22, 2021).

Process

“To keep things moving I propose to set May 16 as the date of branching DiFX 2.5. I'd be happy to do the initial branching using the same approach used previously. However, I'd like to move to using a more traditional Branch/Tag approach than we've used in the past when we come to generating the released version. The DiFX-2.5 branch would be exactly that – a living branch with a hopefully small level of activity (bug fixes primarily). This is where testing of the branch prior to release would occur. Then when we are happy with the state we tag the current DiFX-2.5 branch, immediately calling the result DiFX-2.5.1. A future DiFX-2.5.2 would come from a separate tag on the DiFX-2.5 branch after further fixing.” (email from Walter, 20170427)

Branching status (20170516)

The master tag area in SVN is: https://svn.atnf.csiro.au/difx/master_tags/DiFX-2.5/

There are a few things maybe not yet complete:

1. A couple scripts probably need updates. These were copied straight from the DiFX-2.4 master tag. The scripts are: genipppc install-difx setup.bash setup.csh . I'm not sure who is maintaining these scripts these days. Perhaps coordiate via reply to this message if you are willing to step up and do it. Specifically, install-difx will need to support some new modules (see below).

2. The difxbuild script (used by NRAO/LBO and USNO) needs updates still. I'll get to that and start testing a full check out shortly.

3. Several new modules are in 2.5 that were not in 2.4. These are: difxcalc11, dirlist, mark6sg, mark6meta, polconvert, datasim, autozoom . I've put these into the appropriate area in the 2.5 release. It is possible there are other modules that should be included in DiFX 2.5. Have I missed any?

4. There still might be an issue with difx2fits that needs fixing. I'll look into that sooner rather than later.

Note that in theory the trunk repository is open for new development. It might make sense to avoid making radical changes to trunk until the 2.5.1 release actually happens just to simplify keeping the 2.5 branch and trunk in sync. When development resumes on trunk, please take the opportunity to update ChangeLogs and the version in configure.ac as appropriate.