Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] Project: modular synth editor
From: Steve Harris (S.W.Harris_AT_ecs.soton.ac.uk)
Date: Thu Jan 15 2004 - 17:35:05 EET
On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 04:21:29PM +0100, Alfons Adriaensen wrote:
> > I was thinking that the UI code would be a piece of software, not just a
> > description, that would be run my the host - either a seperate binary or a
> > part of the plugins .so file.
>
> That's a solution, but outside the current LADSPA specs. And the separate
> binary would be specific for a particular host.
The sperate binary is host neutral, but the .so would have to be host
specific (well, host toolkit specific) to some extent.
> > > OTOH, we could introduce the reverse: a bit in the hints requesting the host
> > > *not* to connect a dummy buffer, but instead to set the pointer to NULL if
> > > the port is unconnected. This would be backwards compatible, AFAICS.
> >
> > Yes, but why not just have some way of telling if its the dummy buffer?
>
> Because passing NULL is the obvious way to do it, and there is no need to
> introduce a new mechanism. And since no existing plugin will request this,
> it's perfectly compatible. If you prefer simplicity, why make it more
> complex ?
It doesnt make it more complex. Instead of comparing to NULL you're
comparing to a known constant - the difference is that it makes the plugin
logic, for 95% of plugins, much simpler.
I agree that its a slight deviation from the traditional C cliche, but I
think the advantages are very significant.
> > I agree about diversity, but disgree totally about the other points. In my
> > experieince complex systems are generally failures - they rarely offer
> > anything thats a significant advantage over (comparativly) simple systems,
> > and modular synth modules are simple systems - if there not then youre
> > doing something wrong.
>
> I'm not advocating complexity for its own sake -- things should be as simple
> as they can be, *but not simpler*. Anyway, there is nothing complex in setting
> a bit in a constant hints value.
No, but theres a lot of comlexity in handling that.
- Steve
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