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List:       linux-audio-dev
Subject:    Re: [linux-audio-dev] CSL-0.1.2 Release
From:       Abramo Bagnara <abramo () alsa-project ! org>
Date:       2001-06-07 15:55:56
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Alexander Ehlert wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> > > important. If OSS had looked more like the IRIX audio I/O library, I
> > > think ALSA would look very different today, for example. That library
> > > only supports float32 data, for example.
> >
> > Though the IRIX adoption does not imply it's the right choice...
> 
> I personally think that the SGI Audiofile library has one of the best
> API's by far. It's generic and it supports a lot more than float32 data.

Then I guess Paul have crossed an urban myth...

> In the meantime we have version 0.2.1 btw and the afVirtual methods are
> implemented, too. It might lack support for some audioformats, but instead
> writing new libs I'll rather put my efforts into putting more features
> into libaudiofile. It even supports mp3 format by now, not officially
> though, but there's a patch for it.

The problem of efforts splitting is very severe as everybody (at least
in theory) agree. This is why I advocate *one* API for everything.

The same API to read/write from a file or a PCM. This is what I'm
proposing.

> 
> Speaking API I find ALSA very confusing. Somehow I'd like to have
> something like an OpenGL for music. Having a lib that has a set of
> features that can be done in hardware with software fallbacks for
> soundcards lacking certain features. For example just having the
> possibility to send data in non interleaved fashion float32 to an
> audiodevice and the lib converts it to the right format for the underlying
> hardware. I thought ALSA is actually supposed to do that? Is that
> possible anyway with the current API? Is it just not implemented or
> already there and I don't know it :)

No PCM treats float data currently, but it is a work of less than one
hour to add a pcm_float class.

> Anyway I suggest having a look at the dmedia sdk and the audiofile API.
> That's how it should be done.

I'm sorry, but I'm far from convinced: all these specialized, niche API
are our curse.

-- 
Abramo Bagnara                       mailto:abramo@alsa-project.org

Opera Unica                          Phone: +39.546.656023
Via Emilia Interna, 140
48014 Castel Bolognese (RA) - Italy

ALSA project               http://www.alsa-project.org
It sounds good!

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