A.2 Motivations#
[1t] Background#
rivt is an open source software project that simplifies sharing and reuse of engineering documents. This has always been a challenge because the inclusion of text, images, tables, calculations, models and computer code required in reports has led to incompatible programs. Sharing and reuse has been restricted by the design and terms of use of existing software, including:
documents written by different programs are incompatible
frequent software updates are needed to maintain document access
update costs are high
newer document formats become inaccessible without upgrades
software is limited to specific platforms
document version control is limited
report generation features are limited
collaboration features are limited
The table below summarizes and compares limitations between different software programs. rivt is designed to address these limitations and function as a complement or replacement to existing software.
Software Comparison
[2t] Use Cases#
The primary use case for rivt is producing engineering documents that lie somewhere between back of envelope notes and calculations, and formal journal publications. In other words, it produces formatted, organized documents that are easy to edit.
The second use case is when flexibilty is needed to produce documents in a variety of formats including text, PDF or HTML.
rivt files can function as a front and back end for:
software control
visualization
instrumentation
rivt docs can be used for:
internal communication
research documentation
government permits
technical reports
funding applications
Because rivt is compatible with collaborative tools it may be used in:
teaching
for presentations
real time collaboration