Custom FET for Moroccan schools

[jaafar]

Hello everybody! so sorry i didn't react before. I really do think we need to update the Moroccan version, it started being used widely this school year and I think more and more people will use it next year. I can help testing as far as I can ( I'm not an expert ). I can make a team of four to five people.

[Liviu Lalescu]

OK jaafar, I'll try to find some time to do this, but I cannot promise to do it soon.

About the directory examples/Morocco/, this would be incorrect to appear in the custom version. Should I remove/rename it?

[Muhtadi]

Thanks a million Liviu for the great work you've done developing this wonderful piece of software and thank you for all the interest you're showing in custom versions, notably for Moroccan schools. Forgive me if this has been raised before and for (re)stating the obvious, but wouldn't it be better to merge the custom Moroccan code into the main codebase and activate through a switch in the options? Then you'd only have one version to maintain.  I guess that merging the code isn't only a matter of applying a few patches, but the work you put into it will be worthwile in the long run. Thanks a million again. More thanks also for alfaromeo, jafar, and whoever else has helped with the work/ideas.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Thank you for appreciation!

The idea is new (I think) and very good. Even if it were already stated, there would have been no problem.

Indeed, two variables FET_CUSTOM_MOROCCO and FET_CUSTOM_ALGERIA might solve the problems. A few if's in the separate portions.

I'll consider this idea. Only a few points are critical:

1) I might make errors in the official version, by mixing with custom code (this is my biggest concern);

2) Some users might switch to Morocco or Algerian versions by mistake (I know how to solve: write in the FET main window the custom version, so it is visible all the times);

and maybe other problems.

I'll let you know if I'll begin working on this.

[jaafar]

hello everybody! thanks again liviu. I think it would be better to remove the directory examples/ Morocco, it won't be of any use. about the idea of Mr Muhtadi if I understand well A ONE VERSION FOR ALL would be very interesting.

[Liviu Lalescu]

I thought about it. A unified version may be considered for the future, but for now I will just update the custom Moroccan version. It is almost complete (I worked today on it), will be probably available tomorrow to test.

[Liviu Lalescu]

OK, by popular request, I updated FET Morocco to 5.14.5. Please see the FET homepage for download link.

Please test and let me know your results.

Let me know if I should change in any way the Custom section of FET homepage (description, part about "You may not need this custom version", etc.)

Let me know if I should update custom FET Algeria as well.

[Muhtadi]

I'm new to FET. So there are a lot of things I don't quite understand! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. One thing that baffles me is the need for a dummy day after each two FET days,as per Alfaromeo's suggestion in the readme file of the Morocco example folder ofthe standard version. The logic of the trick escapes me.
2. A lot of schools, including mine, use the so-called Canadian system, in which a teacher never works the same part of two consecutive days. Typically teachers who work Day1.am will work Day2.pm, Day3.am, Day4.pm, Day5.am etc,; and vice versa. I wonder if there's a way to do this with FET.
3. Is there a way of making sure that two teachers (T1 and T2) never work the same half day? Imagine to T1 and T2 are a married couple with a child and no babysitter, or two mortal enemies who will kill each other if they're allowed to meet at chool :-)
4. For every school subject, we have meetings that the teachers of this subject are supposed to attend. For this meeting, we reserve one-half day [a FET day] per week. Is there a way to address teachers of the same subject with the same time constraint without the need to enter the constraints separately for each individual?

This one is only for Liviu, the grandmaster. I need to enter about 1600 activities. Doing it by hand is overkill. So I try to write csv files and import them. The first problem is that even when the csv file has a header, FET still asks the user to assign each header label to the right field in the csv file. In principle, shouldn't it simply assign the labels in the header to the fields in consecutive order ( and possibly then allow the user to change the default assignments)? The second issue is that the import module doesn't handle constraints (yet). I suppose the only way to enter them is through the gui or by editing the XML.

I'll stop here. I suppose that's already too many questions.
Thank you all for indulging me.

[Liviu Lalescu]

I'm new to FET. So there are a lot of things I don't quite understand! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. One thing that baffles me is the need for a dummy day after each two FET days,as per Alfaromeo's suggestion in the readme file of the Morocco example folder ofthe standard version. The logic of the trick escapes me.
2. A lot of schools, including mine, use the so-called Canadian system, in which a teacher never works the same part of two consecutive days. Typically teachers who work Day1.am will work Day2.pm, Day3.am, Day4.pm, Day5.am etc,; and vice versa. I wonder if there's a way to do this with FET.
3. Is there a way of making sure that two teachers (T1 and T2) never work the same half day? Imagine to T1 and T2 are a married couple with a child and no babysitter, or two mortal enemies who will kill each other if they're allowed to meet at chool :-)
4. For every school subject, we have meetings that the teachers of this subject are supposed to attend. For this meeting, we reserve one-half day [a FET day] per week. Is there a way to address teachers of the same subject with the same time constraint without the need to enter the constraints separately for each individual?

1. - I forgot the reason, but it was correct. I hope Volker or alfaromeo will remind us.
2. and 3. - you need a customization of the Morocco custom version. If this is necessary for other Moroccan schools, I'll try to add it to main Moroccan. I could give you the code, let me know if you want it. I wonder why alfaromeo didn't tell me about these kinds of constraints.
4. I am not sure I understand. The answer is probably that you need to enter individual constraints (I didn't care too much about easiness of inputting the data).

This one is only for Liviu, the grandmaster. I need to enter about 1600 activities. Doing it by hand is overkill. So I try to write csv files and import them. The first problem is that even when the csv file has a header, FET still asks the user to assign each header label to the right field in the csv file. In principle, shouldn't it simply assign the labels in the header to the fields in consecutive order ( and possibly then allow the user to change the default assignments)? The second issue is that the import module doesn't handle constraints (yet). I suppose the only way to enter them is through the gui or by editing the XML.

I'll stop here. I suppose that's already too many questions.
Thank you all for indulging me.

Volker knows the import. He is away now, he might answer in a week or so. If you want automatic recognition of fields, export a file and see it and use the same first line in your file. Yes, constraints must be inputted in the GUI or by hand.

[Chafik Graiguer]

1. One thing that baffles me is the need for a dummy day after each two FET days,as per Alfaromeo's suggestion in the readme file of the Morocco example folder ofthe standard version. The logic of the trick escapes me.
.

First, we are talking about workarounds to make Official FET understand moroccan constraints which states: A teacher should never work morning and afternoon same day
But FET days  are merely half (real) days
For FET, it means a teacher should never work  two consecutive days
For humans, it means a teacher should never work morning and afternoon same day, because morning and afternoon are just half days for FET
But, Monday afternoon and Thursday (Edited to add by Liviu: I think Chafik Graiguer means Tuesday) morning are also consecutive FET days !!!!  so FET will never schedule activities there, which is really what you want in the so called Canadian system
The dummy day makes this scenario possible

2. and 3. - you need a customization of the Morocco custom version. If this is necessary for other Moroccan schools, I'll try to add it to main Moroccan. I could give you the code, let me know if you want it. I wonder why alfaromeo didn't tell me about these kinds of constraints.

It is not mandatory, at least in my school, that's why i didnot point it out

[Liviu Lalescu]

On 18 August 2011 I fixed a crash bug, as reported by Montasir here on the forum: http://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/forum/index.php?topic=530.msg3125#msg3125, bug which was present also in fet-5_10_2-morocco6. Please upgrade to the latest version!

[Brahim Montasir]

On 18 August 2011 I fixed a crash bug, as reported by Montasir here on the forum: http://lalescu.ro/liviu/fet/forum/index.php?topic=530.msg3125#msg3125, bug which was present also in fet-5_10_2-morocco6. Please upgrade to the latest version!

Thank you so much Liviu for the great job you are doing.I tested the newest version;the bug is fixed.
Regards

[Liviu Lalescu]

On 2 September 2011, I corrected a very minor (unnoticeable) bug. See new version 5_14_5-morocco-3.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Unfortunately, Official FET does not care about maximum hours daily for students (real day)
It is the only drawback
Otherwise, using tricks in /examples/Morocco, official FET fits Moroccan needs perfectly

Hey, alfaromeo and jaafar! The new constraint, activities occupy max time slots from selection can specify the maximum hours daily for a real day! :-)

You need to add 6 (n_days_per_week) constraints for each students set. Select all activities of the students set, and all slots of the day, and maximum occupied = 7.

Please let me know your opinion!

Looks like we'll bury forever the Algeria and Morocco custom versions?

alfaromeo, could you add the constraints in the official FET example for Morocco, and report results, maybe give me also the file?

About teachers working only morning or only afternoon, I think the new constraint will also help, but we may need many constraints for a single teacher (maybe even 80 constraints for only one teacher, but maybe less). Anyway, you have an old trick for this problem, which you said it worked.

Please let me know asap, before I will release the official version, so we can update the examples/Morrocco file and instructions for users.

[Chafik Graiguer]

Good News !!!
We are heading toward a full use of official FEt for Morocco and maybe Algeria !!

Hey, alfaromeo and jaafar! The new constraint, activities occupy max time slots from selection can specify the maximum hours daily for a real day! :-)

You need to add 6 (n_days_per_week) constraints for each students set. Select all activities of the students set, and all slots of the day, and maximum occupied = 7.

I think we have to set 6 constraints for every students set. am I right?
Edited to add: It is obvious