According to wikipedia, a Solver is a software tool for 'solving' mathematical systems of equations.
- Drools Solver is specifically designed for planning problems, so the term "solver" is too broad.
- It's not equations based, but score rules based (which is more developer friendly).
- It's confusing with the Excel solver or openoffice.org solver, which do solve equations.
So Solver is not the best name.
So I propose to rename it to "Drools Planner".
- Pro:
- "Planning problem" is the only common name I can think of for its use cases.
- A good meme could be "Drools Planner optimizes your resources."
- Against:
- Maven dependencies change from drools-solver to drools-planner
- Need to replace all imports (but that will be clearly documented in UpgradeFromPreviousVersionRecipe.txt).
Do you think it's a good idea to rename "Drools Solver" to "Drools Planner"?
Or maybe you can think of a better name?

Drools Optimizer
ReplyDeleteSeems like a good idea to me.
ReplyDeleteOptimizer sounds like it will improve our existing rules.. or something like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd "Planner" doesn't sound like it's planning the existing rules? :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you raise an interesting project idea: a static rule analyzer, based on drools (solver|planner|optimizer), that scores a ruleset and gives improvement ideas.
"scores a ruleset and gives improvement ideas" -> That it's not the goal of drools-verifier?
ReplyDeleteOptimizer +1 . Sounds more commercial friendly ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, then, salaboy, great minds think alike, don't they? :P
ReplyDeleteI am with salaboy on this one: "optimizer sounds like it improves existing rules".
ReplyDeleteI've thinking about "Drools planning optimizer", but that's just too long.
It looks like we all agree that "solver" isn't the best name. Anyone got another idea besides "planner" and "optimizer"?
I like "planner" - I agree that "solver" isn't an optimal name. "optimiser" I don't like at all (because it implies what salaboy says, and also, who can agree to spell with a s or a z !).
ReplyDeleteI really like "planner" though.
it is really looking through a solution space and finding an optimal solution. All I can think of is Drools Solution Finder, but I know that is too long. Finder might actually work.
ReplyDeleteWhat about "Drools Scheduler"?
ReplyDeleteSequencer ? Drools Sequencer ?
ReplyDeleteI also like Optimizer and Scheduler and Planner and Solver a lot, but are too concrete in at least one sense - they imply more than the person who searches for might be looking for.
On the mailing list Steve, Andrew and Nicolas voted +1 for "Planner". No one seems to veto "Planner" or come up with an undisputed better name, so I think we should go for it.
ReplyDelete"Drools Planner" it is.
Thanks for the help, everyone.
Drools Splunger
ReplyDeleteSplunger, I like it :)
ReplyDeleteThere is something to be said to a fun name or a made up name.
or call it after it's creator:
Drools Smet
:)
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=splunge
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for Drools Planner, it more accurately aligns itself with more traditional planning from AI fields.
ReplyDelete