Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] initial (incomplete) version of ALSA Audio API tutorial
From: Phil Kerr (philkerr_AT_elec.gla.ac.uk)
Date: Fri Mar 22 2002 - 12:16:37 EET
Paul,
Your document looks fine :)
The writing style is clear and you start off with a nice overview so
delving into the more low-level discussion further on is ok. The code
examples you've included cover the basic's quite well (i'll play with
them at home later) and apart from adding some comments in the code,
which you say you want to do, it's spot on, even I can follow them :)
If this could be extended by someone, or yourself, to cover MIDI I think
we'd have the makings of a really good LAD intro!
Thanks, once again, for your efforts.
Phil
Paul Davis wrote:
>
> prompted by phil kerr this morning, i started writing a tutorial on
> using the ALSA Audio API (the term "PCM" is OK once you get into this
> stuff, but ...). The following document represents it current state. I
> would like to ask for feedback even though it is very incomplete. I
> have not tested any of the programs yet.
>
> Specific things I would like feedback on:
>
> * is this kind of document useful?
> * are you totally put off by my low level discussion of
> how an audio interface works?
> * are there design errors in the sample code?
> * is my assumption that the default sw params settings
> will work fine actually correct?
> * does the developer need to set period size?
> * what material in particular do you want to see covered
> by such a tutorial? it is not going to be
> a reference work, so keep that in mind. but i am
> happy to extend it so that it describes (not documents)
> all aspects of the ALSA Audio API.
>
> One thing that has to change in the sample code is that there is
> currently no error checking for any of the params setting calls. But I
> would really appreciate it if Jaroslav and/or Abramo could review the
> code and let me know if these examples are OK as simple cases. I also
> want to add more comments to the code to make it clear what they are
> doing at each point.
>
> I would appreciate it if anybody has any ideas on a really simple
> way to get the playback examples to make a nice noise without
> burdening the examples with either waveform generating code and/or
> calls to some kind of audio file library.
>
> Anyway, the URL:
>
> http://www.op.net/~pbd/alsa-audio.html
>
> Let me know. This complaint about a lack of documentation for ALSA has
> got to stop soon, and this is my contribution to making that happen
> ASAP. My goal is to have a first, finished version of this ready by
> the end of this weekend (march 24th).
>
> --p
>
-- Phil Kerr Centre for Music Technology Researcher Glasgow University philkerr_AT_elec.gla.ac.uk T (+44) 141 330 5740
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