[PRE REVIEW]: MDL Suite: A language, generator and compiler for describing mazes

[whedon]

Submitting author: @Akash-Nag (Akash Nag) Repository: https://github.com/Akash-Nag/MDL-Suite Version: 1.0 Editor: @drvinceknight Reviewers: @rreinecke, @gradvohl

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[whedon]

Attempting PDF compilation. Reticulating splines etc...

[whedon]

:point_right: Check article proof :page_facing_up: :point_left:

[labarba]

@Akash-Nag — thanks for your submission to JOSS. From a quick inspection of the submission it's not obvious that it meets our submission criteria. In particular, this item:

Your software should have an obvious research application

Could you confirm here that there is a research application for this software (and explain what that application is)? The section 'what should my paper contain' has some guidance for the sort of content we're looking to be present in the paper.md.

[akashnag]

I am writing to resolve your query regarding the research application of our proposed software / paper titled "MDL Suite: A language, generator and compiler for describing mazes".

Consider a research paper which aims to propose a new maze solving algorithm [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Writing such a paper typically involves the following steps:

1. Develop the method/algorithm and write a program for it
2. Test the program against hundreds of random mazes and collect the results
3. Analyze the results to judge the performance of the algorithm
4. Generate some images of some typical mazes, and show the paths taken by the solver which makes it more efficient than its competitors
5. Combine the algorithm, results, examples (images) into the paper

Our proposed MDL Suite contains 2 programs: a maze generator and a maze compiler. The maze generator can be utilized in helping with step-2 (above) and the compiler can be used to generate the maze images (step-4). Therefore, the software has an obvious research application. In absence of the software, researchers face many problems as outlined in the submitted paper.

Now, let us consider a typical paper published in JOSS: e.g. Ravi et al. (2019) [11] which discusses a file-format (similar to our proposed MDL format) as well as a Python package which helps in MRI pulse design (analogous to our MDL generator) and then exports the design into a .seq formatted file (similar to ours), which can then be used by a MRI machine. Researchers would typically design test-cases to run on the MRI machine and then analyze the results obtained (similar to Step-2 above). If we could discount the fact that the application of our software is something as trivial as a maze whereas some other papers apply to more serious domains of medicine or astrophysics, it will be apparent that our proposed software has a similar application to research as other software already accepted by your journal.

I hope that I have addressed your concerns but should you have any further queries, please feel free to revert back to me.

REFERENCES

[1] Wyard-Scott, L., and Q-HM Meng. "A potential maze solving algorithm for a micromouse robot." IEEE Pacific Rim Conference on Communications, Computers, and Signal Processing. Proceedings. IEEE, 1995.

[2] Mishra, Swati, and Pankaj Bande. "Maze solving algorithms for micro mouse." 2008 IEEE International Conference on Signal Image Technology and Internet Based Systems. IEEE, 2008.

[3] Dang, Hongshe, Jinguo Song, and Qin Guo. "An efficient algorithm for robot maze-solving." 2010 Second International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics. Vol. 2. IEEE, 2010.

[4] Cai, Jianping, et al. "An algorithm of micromouse maze solving." 2010 10th IEEE International Conference on Computer and Information Technology. IEEE, 2010.

[5] Zhang, Ya Juan, Zi Li Zhang, and Yong Deng. "An improved maze solving algorithm based on an amoeboid organism." 2011 Chinese Control and Decision Conference (CCDC). IEEE, 2011.

[6] Elshamarka, Ibrahim, and Abu Bakar Sayuti Saman. "Design and implementation of a robot for maze-solving using flood-fill algorithm." International Journal of Computer Applications 56.5 (2012).

[7] Willardson, David M. "Analysis of micromouse maze solving algorithm." Learning from Data (2001).

[8] He, Shao-Bo, and Ke-Hui Sun. "Design and optimization of micro-mouse solving the maze algorithm based on central method." Jisuanji Xitong Yingyong- Computer Systems and Applications 21.9 (2012): 79-82.

[9] Saman, Abu Bakar Sayuti, and Issa Abdramane. "Solving a reconfigurable maze using hybrid wall follower algorithm." (2013).

[10] Babula, Michał. "Simulated maze solving algorithms through unknown mazes." Organizing and Program Committee 13 (2009).

[11] Ravi et al., (2019). PyPulseq: A Python Package for MRI Pulse Sequence Design. Journal of Open Source Software, 4(42), 1725, https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01725

Thanks & Regards Akash Nag Department of Computer Science M.U.C. Women's College, Burdwan 713104, West Bengal, India Mobile: (+91) 98322-58023 E-mail: nag.akash.cs@gmail.com

[labarba]

Thanks for the explanation.

This PR should solve your broken citations: https://github.com/Akash-Nag/MDL-Suite/pull/1

[labarba]

@drvinceknight 👋 — Could you handle this submission as editor? MDL Suite: A language, generator and compiler for describing mazes https://github.com/Akash-Nag/MDL-Suite See the author's explanation of research uses: https://github.com/openjournals/joss-reviews/issues/1802#issuecomment-541418372

[drvinceknight]

Could you handle this submission as editor?

Yup, no problem.

[drvinceknight]

@whedon assign @drvinceknight as editor

[whedon]

OK, the editor is @drvinceknight

[drvinceknight]

@whedon generate pdf

[whedon]

Attempting PDF compilation. Reticulating splines etc...

[whedon]

:point_right: Check article proof :page_facing_up: :point_left:

[drvinceknight]

@Akash-Nag would you have any suggestions for reviewers of this paper?

[akashnag]

No, I do not have any preferences/suggestions regarding the choice of reviewers.

Thanks & Regards,

On Mon, 14 Oct 2019, 13:51 Vince Knight, notifications@github.com wrote:

@Akash-Nag https://github.com/Akash-Nag would you have any suggestions for reviewers of this paper?

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/openjournals/joss-reviews/issues/1802?email_source=notifications&email_token=ALUWTR7TRGBZGXCRK6PN4DTQOQTXHA5CNFSM4JAEPRB2YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFVREXG43VMVBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOEBDV6VY#issuecomment-541548375, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ALUWTR7QLDAIARPC4BGR26TQOQTXHANCNFSM4JAEPRBQ .

[drvinceknight]

@hausen, @pragyansmita, @gradvohl, @rreinecke, @BasTesterink would you be interested in reviewing this paper on maze generation for JOSS? I don't think it fits immediately within your areas of expertise but it is somewhat related and you all have knowledge of java.

If you have not reviewed for JOSS before, in my experience it takes less time than reviewing for a traditional journal and there is documentation here: https://joss.readthedocs.io/en/latest/reviewer_guidelines.html I'd also be very happy to answer any questions you might have.

[rreinecke]

@drvinceknight I would be delighted to review this work.

[drvinceknight]

Fantastic thanks @rreinecke, once we have a second reviewer I'll open another issue where the review itself will take place.

[drvinceknight]

@whedon assign @rreinecke as reviewer

[whedon]

OK, the reviewer is @rreinecke

[gradvohl]

Hello @drvinceknight. I can review the paper if JOSS still needs a reviewer for it. Best.

[drvinceknight]

Fantastic, thank you @gradvohl!

[drvinceknight]

@whedon add @gradvohl as reviewer

[whedon]

OK, @gradvohl is now a reviewer

[drvinceknight]

@whedon start review

[whedon]

OK, I've started the review over in https://github.com/openjournals/joss-reviews/issues/1815. Feel free to close this issue now!

[drvinceknight]

@gradvohl @rreinecke the review now takes place on #1815, if you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch.