Application Database RFC

[Tony Lambregts]

I have done a lot of thinking about the Application Database
http://appdb.codeweavers.com lately and how the rating system works. We 
currently have 848 Applications in there but only 58 with a 5 star 
rating which works out to less than 10% and thats the good news. The bad 
news is that of those 58 only 26 rate that without windows installed. 
After takeing a closer look, none of the apps I looked at actualy rated 
5 star by my way of judging. Now maybe I'm overly critical but in my way 
of thinking If the app doesn't install in wine then it shouldn't get a 
5. IMHO We need to set criteria that give us a better/less subjective 
way of measuring how well we are doing. So this is what I have come up with.

1. Installation                                   (total possible 2)
     Installs in wine with fake windows	                    2 points
     Installs in wine with windows mounted                   1 point
     Does not install in wine                                0 points

2. Running & DLLS                                 (total possible 2)
     Runs fine using all builtin dlls                        2 points
     Runs fine using native dlls                             1 point
     Does not run/crashes on startup                         0 points

3  Running general                                (total possible 2)
     program does not crash ever	                            2 points
     Program crashes only after long use or rare aspect used 1 point
     program crashes on startup or doing common function     0 points

4. Screen Presentation/layout                     (total possible 2)
     App looks exactly like it should                        2 points
     Small problems that do not affect working with app      1 point
     App is unusable because of display problems             0 points

5. Fonts                                          (total possible 2)
     Fonts look exacty right                                 2 points
     Fonts not exactly right but acceptable                  1 point
     Fonts unreadable or totaly wrong.                       0 points

6. Mouse                                          (total possible 2)
     Mouse behaves as expected                               2 points
     Mouse behaves strange but can still use app             1 point
     Mouse behaves badly and is unusable                     0 points

7. Keyboard                                       (total possible 2)
     Keyboard reacts as expected.                            2 points
     Some keys/key combinations dont work but most do.       1 point
     Keyboard locks up or unresposive                        0 points	

8. Files save/restore                             (total possible 2)
     Able to save and restore files without any problems     2 points
     Can save and restore files but have problems            1 points
     Cannot save or restore files                            0 points

9. Sound                                          (total possible 2)
     Not applicable
     Sound is correct                                        2 points
     sound is ok most of the time but has minor glichs       1 point
     Sound is garbled or missing                             0 points

10.Joystick/gamepad                               (total possible 2)
     Not applicable
     joystick/gamepad works correctly                        2 points
     joystick/gamepad have problems but mostly work          1 point
     joystick/gamepad unresponsive                           0 points

11.Registy/rememberd state                        (total possible 2)
     Not applicable
     Program remembers key settings from one session to next 2 points
     Program remembers most settings but not all             1 point
     program does not remember most settings at all          0 points

12. Date tested. Verison of wine used

Each of the sections should have a comment field and a place to enter a 
url to a bug report if applicable

Applications could be scored based as a percentage. Applications that 
use all critera would need all 22 points to get a 100% rating. For other 
applications some of these criteria are not applicable and their score 
would use a lower base score.

Idealy we would be able to look at the AppDB and list all programs that 
have problems with any of the criteria

Probably the most usefull aspect of this is that it gives users and 
developers a real way of measuring how well wine really is doing and 
where problems that affect the most programs are.

I have cross posted this because I think this is important to both users 
and developers. Any comments, criticisims or helpfull suggestions welcome


Tony Lambregts