Talk track filtering

[Michael Allan]

Hey Conseo,

Let's document a filtering convention for the stage API.  This affects
both our code, and also the "actorName" problem we chatted about:
http://zelea.com/var/cache/irc/votorola/12-10/08

Here's what I propose.  This assumes a poll is staged: [1]


   defaultActorName [2]  actorName [3]  filter
   -------------------------------------------
   free        null      null           forest
                                  
               null      end            forest
                         candidate

               null      non end        branch
                         candidate
   -------------------------------------------
   pinned      set       default        group
                                  
               set       non-default    pair


You'll probably be filtering on other properties too, but currently
only the actor is a mutual dependency, and only when a poll is staged
*and* the track is pinned.  So it's only the bottom half that we need
to document in the API.  But I discuss all four filters below.

free
----
Here the vote track is animated and the user may explore votespace.
Talk lighting may be used to show the way, much as in geospace with
the geotrack [5].  Filtering is consistent with this.

(forest) Talk track shows diff messages for entire poll, i.e. entire
votespace forest.

(branch) Talk track shows messages for upstream votespace branch
(deep) as rooted in actor's candidate, i.e. including the candidate.

pinned
------
Here the vote track is pinned to the default actor and immobile [4].
This happens in draft pages and the difference bridge, for instance,
where it allows for pair selection *instead of* exploring votespace.
Again, filtering is consistent with this.

(group) Talk track shows diff messages for default actor (pin) and
immediate cast relations, viz. with diffs between the pin and an
immediate voter, co-voter, base co-candidate, or candidate. [6]

(pair) Talk track shows all diff messages between the pin and actor.

There's probably no need to actually code any filtering for your first
deployment.  We only need to agree on the plan.  What do you think?


 [1] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/s/gwt/stage/Stage.html#getPollName()

 [2] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/s/gwt/stage/Stage.html#getDefaultActorName()

 [3] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/s/gwt/stage/Stage.html#getActorName()

 [4] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/s/gwt/stage/vote/VoteTrackV.html

 [5] http://mail.zelea.com/list/votorola/2012-September/001412.html

 [6] http://zelea.com/project/votorola/_/javadoc/votorola/a/count/XCastRelation.html

-- 
Michael Allan

Toronto, +1 416-699-9528
http://zelea.com/