[Orekit Developers] Preparing release 8.0

[MAISONOBE Luc <luc.maisonobe@c-s.fr>]

Hi all,

As Hipparchus has just been released, we can now proceed with Orkit 8.0
release. At least we will have orbit determination!

The current status is basically what I want to release, so I have asked
PMC to vote on this features set to allow the publication. There is
only one change more that I would like to introduced and which is not
in the repository now. I would like to know about your thoughts about
this.

This last change would be to get rid of the PropagationException and
replace it with a simple OrekitException. The rationale for this change
is that PropagationException failed to bring any value and just added
complexity. A typical case is used code to implement a step handler.
Such code can only throw PropagationException, not the superclass
OrekitException. However, since that code often uses other Orekit
features (to get PVCoordinates in some frame for example), then users
must wrap the OrekitException thrown from below. We end up with lots
of code like:

  try {
    // do some Orekit stuff
  } catch (PropagationException pe) {
    // already the good sub-type of exception, just re-throw
    throw pe;
  } catch (OrekitException oe) {
    // wrap the underlying exception
    throw new PropagationException(oe);
  }

Do you think we could remove this PropagationException?

If some of you want a specific feature to be added to 8.0,
please say it now.

best regards,
Luc