How to find appropriate packages in "Browse Software"

asked 2012-02-13 19:11:47 -0500

yuyu
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Hi, What is the best way of finding appropriate packages in "Browse Software"? http://www.ros.org/browse/list.php

There is description for each package, but they are not organized. Without someone's recommendation or reputation, it is difficult to just try because there are so many of them.

I'm hoping that ROS packages are more easily accessible, and I can concentrate on building my application by using someone's previous hard work. Thanks!

answered 2012-02-14 03:19:48 -0500

joq
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As the list gets longer, this question becomes more urgent. I can only suggest some reasonable heuristics:

search the "Browse" page for words related to your needs
for each package that looks relevant:
- see if the corresponding ros.org/wiki page exists
- does the documentation appear complete?
- what is the review status of the package?

This approach has drawbacks: sometime packages with minimal documentation work just fine. You may end up with several candidates that appear equally plausible. In that case, download and try them all.

The ROS community should provide a way for users to rate packages, providing useful feedback for developers and guidance for potential users.

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Hi joq! Yes, I've been trying the packages in your method. I just wanted to make sure that I haven't missing a magic-wand method. If the heavy user like you say this, I can confirm that I haven't been missing anything. I hope the ROS community is aware of this issue, so it will be more expandable;)

yuyu ( 2012-02-14 05:38:45 -0500 )edit

I hope someone else has a better answer, but I have not heard it yet.