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It's not too much to ask. You want the software you purchase to empower your people, not handcuff them. They need to work together, sharing ideas and reusing each others' components. They are decidedly not going to abandon the tools they already use and worked so hard to create. They're brilliant but they're not perfect; every now and then they need to backtrack and start over. They work on PCs and Linux workstations at all hours and from almost everywhere. nanoXplorer IDE was designed from the ground up to support nanotechnology workgroups such as yours. Inspired by integrated development environments (IDEs) for software teams, nanoXplorer IDE provides a number of extension points to which your own workgroup's capabilities can be seamlessly integrated, leveraging your existing tools to an even higher level of productivity. nanoXplorer IDE also provides support for concurrent versions (CVS) of NanoFiles and the other files in their workspaces so that their designs can be safely stored in repositories and checked out as needed. nanoXplorer IDE is the piece of the puzzle you've been missing.
 Team Support
nanoXplorer IDE includes support for the Concurrent Versions System (CVS), which provides a number of critical benefits for workgroups. First, work products such as nanodevice designs can be safeguarded by storing them in a repository located anywhere on your network--a worry free backup in case something goes wrong. Second, the repository enables simultaneous editing of NanoFiles and other files safely through check out procedures and resolution of conflicting changes. Lastly, advanced CVS support enables branching, merging, tagging and change descriptions so that you have complete control over the evolution your work products and a failsafe way to backtrack or experiment with new tangents whenever needed. All that and it's easy to use, too.
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 Extensibility
The Eclipse Platform serves as the foundation of nanoXplorer IDE. One incredibly useful characteristic of Eclipse is its plug-in architecture; essentially every piece of functionality is added through individual plug-ins that attach themselves to the application through extension points. Every plug-in can declare additional extension points as well, so the entire system is very open and flexible. nanoXplorer IDE itself is a collection of plug-ins that augment and tailor Eclipse in order to add functionality specific to nanotechnology. The software also declares some specific extension points which your workgroup can take advantage of in order to customize the application for your particular needs or work environment. nanoXplorer IDE declares extension points for nanoscale widgets and components, component visualization, data handlers, and simulations. What this means is that your workgroup can, with a little effort, integrate your unique capabilities directly into nanoXplorer IDE, maximizing your productivity and leveraging your existing software. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts... that's the power of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
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 Interoperability
In addition to its unique extensibility, nanoXplorer IDE fits right in to your workgroup's toolbox by maximizing its interoperability with other software. Through common formats and import/export capabilities, you will be able to use many of the files you currently work with in nanoXplorer IDE and vice versa.
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 Components
Central to nanoXplorer IDE is the concept of a nanoscale device, a molecular device or nanosystem containing various components joined together for a particular purpose. In order to properly represent such nanodevices and facilitate their design and engineering, nanoXplorer IDE enables integrating components into a larger system while still preserving component identity. Moreover, the software allows for arbitrarily complex systems by defining a hierarchy of components, with the top of the hierarchy being recursive--that is, nanosystems can contain other nanosystems. Components can have interfaces and users can define connections between components (including, but not limited to, chemical bonds).
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 Import/Export Molecules
nanoXplorer IDE can import and export molecules in a number of different formats so it can interoperate with many of your existing tools and simulations. On Windows, nanoXplorer IDE has now fully integrated the Open Babel free software package, allowing it to import/export over 50 molecule formats.
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 Deploy on Heterogeneous Networks
Integrating software elements is critical, but what about the hardware? nanoXplorer IDE runs on a number of different platforms. Currently you can install nanoXplorer IDE on your Windows, Linux (x86 and x86_64) and Solaris computers, with support for additional platforms planned. nanoXplorer IDE not only affords your workgroup the flexibility to work where they can be the most productive, it can take advantage of your fastest workstations while still getting the job done on an average desktop or laptop. So, go ahead... design that nanodevice at your desk, simulate it on the lab's workstation and take it home on your laptop for a late-night review. |
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