RPP - Rapid Prototyping Process

Statement of Purpose

The National Weather Service created a program called Rapid Prototyping Project (RPP) in 1999 in order to speed up implementation of the end state Interactive Forecast Preparation System.  The RPP provided a direct conduit between forecasters and developers through rapid turnaround of software. The RPP has concentrated on three major areas:  improved interactive tools, modernized products, and forecast process definition.

RAP (Rapid Alpha Process) was created in 2001 as a more formal rapid deployment process that involves not only the GFESuite, but the entire IFPS.  GFE software was provided to the RAP which was then packaged and shipped to field sites.

This web site concentrates on the GFESuite portion of IFPS and describes the progress made during the five years of RPP. 

The program RPP is no longer in existance and the GFESuite development team does not produce new RPP builds. However, the team continued to follow RPP-style development by producing pre-release software directly to the field for AWIPS through 2006.

The last RPP build was November, 2003. Overall there were 22 major builds of GFESuite RPP software containing 1192 software enhancements and 660 bug fixes.

RPP Release History

Details about the RPP release history and associations with AWIPS builds may be found here.

Training Workshop Details

Details about the various workshops held at FSL for the RPP focal points during the RPP project are found below:

October 2003 Advanced Text Formatter Workshop
September 2002 Workshop Details
April 2002 Workshop Details
November 2001 Workshop Details
April 2001 Workshop Details
November 2000 Workshop Details
November 1999 Training Information

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