Data Product Versioning
On a file, a version number should appear as a “version suffix” on the end of the filename. Since some software does not support a period [.] in the filename, the period or point is replaced with the letter “p”.
- “_V1” for Version 1
- “_V1p1” for Version 1.1
- “_V2” for Version 2
- etc…
All Strewnify meteor event maps and publications should be marked with a version number, to indicate differences in data or analysis methods and to easily find which version is the latest and greatest. When a meteorite-dropping fireball occurs, the available data can change quickly over the first few days and the predicted strewn field can change shape and size. As new information becomes available, and confidence improves, the search area should (hopefully) get smaller and move less with each version.
Major Releases (Version 1, Version 2, etc)
Major version releases are for meteor trajectory changes, where the path of the meteor was either incorrect in a previous release, or more commonly, the measurement error was reduced and consequently the search area is more accurate and/or smaller. For example, early reports may be based on a quick video analysis, and the uncertainty is 10 kilometers or more. A major release would occur once additional video analysis was done, and the confidence was reduced to maybe 5km, or even less than 2 km.
Minor Releases (Version 1.1, Version 1.2, etc)
Minor version releases are for data analysis improvements, minor corrections such as typos, or weather data updates that affected the meteorite drift prediction. Typically for minor releases, the path of the meteor was not changed and the impact to the search area was small.
