Hello Livi!
We have been using FET for a long time, FET is great, has helped a lot for schools in Vietnam to set up timetables. We are teachers from Vietnam who want to create a custom version called FET_VietNam with the following constraints:
1. Constraint teacher max gaps per day x
2. Constraint teacher max days per week x (. Limit the maximum number of teacher days per week x)
3. Constraint Teacher Min Hours Daily x
4. Constraint Teacher Max Hours Daily x
Request:
-Add these constraints to the csv file so we can use FET faster.
-Add 1 dialog box in the official version: sort the number of teachers' lectures in ascending order from 1 to the largest number, the purpose is to Constraint teacher max days per week x (Limit the maximum number of teachers' days per week) x)
-Every time the FET software releases the official version, the custom version FET_VietNam is updated
We will call on Vietnamese teachers to support FET for this project with what value?
Hello, ngo!
Thank you for the appreciation!
I will try to help you and the associated teachers.
I propose you a function to import the 4 types of constraints from a very simple text file, in this format:
ConstraintTeacherMaxGapsPerDay John 1
ConstraintTeacherMaxDaysPerWeek Brown 4
ConstraintTeacherMinHoursDaily Albert 2
ConstraintTeacherMaxHoursDaily Malcolm 5
Please tell me, should I only add these constraints, or also if they already exist in the FET data I should remove the old existing ones?
Then I will try to add a button to sort the constraints teacher max days per week in their dialog according to the max days.
But unfortunately I cannot guarantee that this custom version will be updated. If there are some critical updates in the official, I will try to help you, but I make no promise.
I would prefer to find another name for this custom version, because even the official FET version is useful for Vietnam. I propose you the name "ngo". Please choose another name, if you want, but not Vietnam.
I decided that I do not do work for money on this project, but benevolent donations directed towards the FET project are always welcome.
You think the way the custom version is updated when the official version is available is the only way I can convince the Vietnamese teachers to regularly support FET with all their heart and money.
I cannot promise, sorry.
Are there any important updates related to Vietnam that you can update us? Name FET_VN
I will try to update VN on important official updates.
I am sorry that I cannot add importing/exporting constraints from/to text files in the official FET. I will think about this.
Meanwhile, we'll consider how your custom version behaves and who knows... import/export of constraints might make its way to the official FET. But it's a long way to this...
We wanted a custom version and updated to a new custom version with important constraints. Thus, the Vietnamese community will support FET a lot. Thank you Liviu and FET
As I already told you, I will try to help you by creating these features as a custom version now. But I absolutely don't promise anything regarding updates to your custom version, sorry. I don't want to take any responsibility on this, for the future.
When there is a new version useful for Vietnamese teachers, please consider upgrading to the custom version
I did a first sketch of the program. I tested only a bit. Download here: https://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/download/custom/vn/ . If you report bugs, I'll solve them tomorrow.
Please don't do a donation. I cannot do updates on it.
-Why don't I see those constraints in the csv . file?
-On the software, we want to create a dialog box that arranges the number of teaching hours of the teacher from 1 to the largest number => Add a constraint on the maximum number of teaching days in a week of that teacher.
For example: Teacher A, B, D, E teaches the number of periods 5,10,3,4, the software has an ascending sort dialog box: 3,4,5,10=>Add a constraint on the maximum number of days in 1 week for that teacher
1) You can only import them, not also export them.
2) Enter the dialog of constraints teacher max days per week. There is a Sort by MDPW check box there.
1. Limit the maximum distance of teachers per day x
2. Limit the maximum number of teacher days per week x
3. Limiting the minimum number of teachers' daily hours x
4. Limit the maximum number of hours per day for teachers x
Request:
-Add these constraints to the csv file so we can use FET faster.
-Add 1 dialog box in the official version: sort the number of teachers' lectures in ascending order from 1 to the largest number, the purpose is to Constraint teacher max days per week x (Limit the maximum number of teachers' days per week) x)
-Every time the FET software releases the official version, the custom version FET_VietNam is updated
1) The import of these 4 constraints is done in FET > Import from CSV. Read the Help button there to see the format.
2) The sorting is done with a check box in the dialog constraints teacher max days per week.
3) I will NOT update this FET-VN version later. I only release it once now.
I didn't find in the help how to add those constraints from the csv file. you can create a sample csv file for us to import into the FET with those constraints. We are always grateful to you
Please open "Import constraints from CSV" and press the button "Help".
One short example:
ConstraintTeacherMaxDaysPerWeek,John,4
There are 4 possibilities, I describe them in the "Help" button.
in your txt file you don't see 100% weighting. I enter FET-VN, it doesn't work as expected
Neglect the weight. It will be imported as 100%.
Can you add how to import these constraints into the csv file in the final version? We support FET money. Thank you so much
It is not a matter of money. Please don't pay for the feature.
I do not understand your request. Would you like to explain some more, please? Would you like me to add more help on how to import these constraints in your custom version? Please provide the exact text you would like me to add.
I cannot add for now this import into the official FET, sorry.
Add constraints to the csv file in the final version. This is my only request. Otherwise FET-VN makes no sense
We cannot add import of the constraints at this moment in the official FET, I am sorry. There are more reasons:
1) I have no experience in this. My experience is in algorithms.
2) There are very many possible variants on how to do this import/export of constraints.
3) It is a titanic task to do this for all the constraints.
4) If other people would like, they can develop their own interface and use the FET algorithm to solve their data.
But for the future we will consider your suggestion.
Official version 6.8.4:
-Allows to add ConstraintTeacherMaxDaysPerWeek with csv file
-Added sort by MDPW dialog box
I think this is a very important thing that has long been lacking in FETs or you don't want users to use this function
You are only seeing your particular situation. You are not considering all the needs of the others. There are zillions of possible constraints to be sorted like you want or imported like you want. They will clutter the dialogs. We need to keep it simple.
Unfortunately, interface is my weak point.
I will consider, together with Volker, improving the import/export in the future. But it is a difficult task.
Adding ConstraintTeacherMaxDaysPerWeek took a lot of time for all users, I did a survey for Vietnamese users, all said this is a weak point of FET and the author does not want to change. I am the representative of the Vietnamese friends, I hope that in the official version, the author will add those 2 things to the FET. Simply because when you do something that takes time, you will find a way to do it faster
I took note of your suggestion.
There are things taking too long also for other users. I will think of them.
You can ask users in other countries, you will get the same lazy answer as mine. We will support the FET regularly but please upgrade the essentials for all countries to use. The 2 things I suggested above are essential for a scheduler software
I appreciate your concern for FET. Your suggestion has been noted.
Quote from: ngoctp29121982 on February 01, 2023, 05:16:36 PMAdding ConstraintTeacherMaxDaysPerWeek took a lot of time for all users
In normal case you add each teacher only a single time in your whole life. Adding that by the interface didn't take much time. Just hold the mouse pointer over the teacher name. Use the mouse scroll wheel to modify the teacher name. Don't move the mouse pointer. Keep it all the time over the teacher name! Use your other hand to press the enter key 2 times if you want to add a teacher. Add teachers with the same values first. Add the value only as soon as you added all teachers with that value. With that way you can even add more then 60 teacher in a less then 1 minute. You also don't need to add the values in the next year again, just use your old FET file and in worst case you might need to modify or add a few values. But overall that is fast. Faster then writing and importing by csv.
because the teaching hours of the teachers are different, using the mouse pointer is not as fast as the csv file, when I add it with csv and allow me to create the dialog box as suggested, I enter data 10 times faster. reason, teachers have different teaching hours: 1,3,7,10,8,20,16.......
My friends who are FET users in Vietnam: If I can follow your letter to contribute ideas, I wrote on the forum, then FET will overcome its weakness of not allowing users to input data from excel and export the timetable to excel. That way you can use the FET for a long time. Because all software in Vietnam allows users to add data in 2 ways directly and by excel file
My friends who are FET users in Vietnam: If I can follow your letter to contribute ideas, I wrote on the forum, then FET will overcome its weakness of not allowing users to input data from excel and export the timetable to excel. That way you can use the FET for a long time. Because all software in Vietnam allows users to add data in 2 ways directly and by excel file
You are never 10 times faster writing an csv, since you didn't understood my idea correct.
a) You wrote "1, 3, 7, 10, 8, 20, 16, ..."
You put into someones mind by this that you always need to change the value, but that is in fact not true.
You need to add them sorted. So it is 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 5, ..., 28.
If you add them sorted, then you are much faster, because you don't always need to write the value, only move a bit the mouse wheel to get the next teacher.
2. You don't need to add a constraint for teachers with 1 only. The constraint is useless for them
3. You don't need to add that constraint for teachers with a double lessen only, because it is useless for them.
4. you don't need to add that constraint for teachers, that are already forced by not available times to have limited number of max days.
5. You don't need to add the constraints for each single full time teacher, since all full time teachers get the same single "All" constraint.
So by this you already saved, depending on your school, more or less constraints. (i guess for normal schools in Germany you already save about 50%, since about 50% are full time teachers.)
b)
You wrote 1, 3, 7, 10, 8, 20, 16, ...
You put into someones mind by this that you have got at least 20 different values, but that is not true.
If you work from Monday to Friday with the MA version, then you have got only 10 half-days. So 9 is the maximum! (10 is unneeded, you don't need to add a value constraint with that value). In Germany a full time teacher work max 7 half days. So just set a single "All" constraint for the full time teachers mean i only have got only left the values from 1 to 6. So in worst case I need to set 6 different values. So i just start with value 1, set all teacher with one. That is less then 1 minute work for the whole school. Then the same with 2. Again less then 1 minute work, ... until value 6. So i set them pretty quick. Faster then writing a csv file that i use only a single time in my whole life. If i use that csv daily, ok then i will be trained with an csv file and a csv file is faster, but don't forget you do it only 1 time in your whole life. You never need to use it a second time, since you can just use the fet file and modify a few values.
You can speed up my variant even more, if you set double enter keyboard klick on an alternative mouse button.
Why don't you guys allow the user to add those 4 constraints from the csv file like the one I posted on the forum. When it is necessary for the user and in this way we optimize the teacher's working time faster than using the mouse pointer and also easy to change
Liviu added it for you in a custom version. Did you ever got a feature request from Microsoft, Apple or an other company?
Liviu (and me and all other big software developers) don't want to add features that doesn't bring (big) improvements or doesn't fit into the software. Have a look at file format jpeg XL in webbwrowsers. Even jpeg XL is better than jpeg, the Apple Safari never added that feature, Microsoft Explorer/Edge never added that feature, Google Chromium added it in a test version, but removed it again. Only Firefox have it included as test now, but they are not sure if they want to keep it. Looks like they will remove it also. Even jpeg XL is better than jpeg. Even this good payed companies haven't got enough time to add all requests, even if they are better.
A new feature must "fit" into the software. There are many different ways how to implement it. Liviu implemented it his way in the custom version. I suggested it to implement it different to get other advantages by that (but also other disadvantages). Liviu and me currently think about how to design it best. The variants have got different advantages/disadvantages. (I guess you can read my idea in the TODO of the next FET release.)
If we select now again a wrong way, then a lot of work will be wasted. The old csv stuff was written by me. Advantage: Pretty short code with a lot of freedom in the selection of the fields. But the disaddvatage is that is is very very bad to service/expand the old code. So the csv import/export need a total rewriting. But that should be done correct. If we want to do that with all constraints (and a new feature should be complete), then i guess you need at least 3 month (maybe even 6) if you do full time coding. It will be bad if we do the same bug again and add new feature without thinking enough. We don't want to waste our spare time with implementing "bad" solutions.
I wish you in the not too distant future to be able to add basic bindings to the csv file completely, I believe it will be a standout feature of FETs and users like. Thank you for helping us to have a scheduler software with great algorithms, in the near future we will often support your development