I have started a project that I have always felt would be very
interesting. It has been going very slowly until recently when my
company pitched in some money to help it along. This forum seems like
a great place to get some feedback! I really appreciate any comments
you might have. The idea is to create an open-source web-based tool
that will allow users to contribute functions to and in so doing,
extend the overall functionality of the tool. The idea started as a
project similar to something like this: http://ponce.sdsu.edu/online_calc.php
where you build little math functions that users can interact with.
They are simple, but can be useful for engineering applications and
study.

I plan to host the site on Amazon EC2 and build a lightweight
application that runs inside a separate virtual
machine on the same server.  This virtual machine has network access
to the parent server only, meaning that there is no financial
incentive to compromise the machine (to send spam, etc.)  Also, if the
virtual machine gets corrupted, we just spawn a new one.  This
architecture also scales well, since we could have an arbitrary set of
background servers running this way.

We allow users to build a function in say FORTRAN, Java, C, Lisp, or
some other (for now only choice of say 7-8 languages). Then they
upload the source code along with a schema file. Schema file specifies
inputs/outputs, and language specs. If the code compiles, the user can
move on to the 'function select' page where he/she can choose from a
library of functions to run. Once selected, a form will appear that
matches the input requirements (or for larger inputs an 'upload csv'
form will appear). The user enters data and saves, then another screen
appears allowing user to change data if necessary and submit. Then the
input is sent to the server and consumed by the corresponding function
that was selected. Then output is sent back to the screen and the user
can either save the output or choose another function to run on that
output, etc, etc, ...

Thoughts?

On Apr 7, 4:56=A0pm, Jason <jason.lillywh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have started a project that I have always felt would be very
> interesting. It has been going very slowly until recently when my
> company pitched in some money to help it along. This forum seems like
> a great place to get some feedback! I really appreciate any comments
> you might have. The idea is to create an open-source web-based tool
> that will allow users to contribute functions to and in so doing,
> extend the overall functionality of the tool. The idea started as a
> project similar to something like this:http://ponce.sdsu.edu/online_calc.=
php
> where you build little math functions that users can interact with.
> They are simple, but can be useful for engineering applications and
> study.
>
> I plan to host the site on Amazon EC2 and build a lightweight
> application that runs inside a separate virtual
> machine on the same server. =A0This virtual machine has network access
> to the parent server only, meaning that there is no financial
> incentive to compromise the machine (to send spam, etc.) =A0Also, if the
> virtual machine gets corrupted, we just spawn a new one. =A0This
> architecture also scales well, since we could have an arbitrary set of
> background servers running this way.
>
> We allow users to build a function in say FORTRAN, Java, C, Lisp, or
> some other (for now only choice of say 7-8 languages). Then they
> upload the source code along with a schema file. Schema file specifies
> inputs/outputs, and language specs. If the code compiles, the user can
> move on to the 'function select' page where he/she can choose from a
> library of functions to run. Once selected, a form will appear that
> matches the input requirements (or for larger inputs an 'upload csv'
> form will appear). The user enters data and saves, then another screen
> appears allowing user to change data if necessary and submit. Then the
> input is sent to the server and consumed by the corresponding function
> that was selected. Then output is sent back to the screen and the user
> can either save the output or choose another function to run on that
> output, etc, etc, ...
>
> Thoughts?

Cool in concept; Similar in some ways to codepad.org.  In fact, I
would suggest you get in touch with the author of that site for advice
on how to keep your users from taking over your systems (and getting
you booted off your host) by submitting and executing malcode.