
HOW THE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT WORKS

ViSta consists of a core engine plus plugins and addons. This design lets ViSta be both stable and expandable: The core is stable, while the plugins and addons provide the path to growth. This architecture also provides for an obvious oganization of ViSta developers into Application developers and System developers. Applications developers develop new plugins and addons, whereas system developers can also enhance ViSta's core engine.  


APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

If you are a system or application developer, all of the code and tools that you will need to be a ViSta Application Developer have just been downloaded onto your machine. You can proceed to develop your plugin or addon application without coordinating your efforts with those of other application developers. 

However, please check out www.visualstats.org/developer for information on what other folks are doing, and to leave information about what you are doing. This way, duplication of effort can be avoided, and the user and developer community can be kept up-to-date. 

If you need professional software development support, please contact forrest@visualstats.org for information about our professional development and programming services.


SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION FOR DISTRIBUTION

If you wish, you can submit your application to us for distribution by visualstats.org.  You are, of course, free to distribute your app independently from visualstats.org.

Submitting an application to us is much like submitting a paper for publication. When your app is ready, just email the installation module to
   app-devel@visualstats.org
The installation module should include code, data, examples and documentation. The ViSta Editorial Board will review and make a recommendation concerning distribution. If it is approved for distribution it will be included on the visualstats.org website (and on our mirror sites), and links will be made so that it can be downloaded.
