Re: [Hamlib-developer] Perl bindings not ready for prime time?

[Nate B. <n0...@bl...>]

On Sunday 29 July 2007 10:58:47 John R. wrote:
> For now, I am pulling out only one item from your response...
>
> Nate Bargmann wrote:
> > Since some radios can generate updates continuously, the client will need
> > to be ready to accept data from the daemon.  Other models require
> > polling.
>
> If the daemon is doing the polling, then it is not clear to me why the
> client would need to.  It would seem it could just "block" or some
> similar mechanism to wait for data.
>
> I have done a little GUI progrmaming with perl via the Perl Object
> Environment (POE).  Although the blocking of all processing is a Bad
> Thing in a GUI application, POE has a mechanism for handling the above
> scenario.
>
> Maybe there is "polling" behind the scense but I expect that different
> language environments (Python) have frameworks to address this and
> abstract it for the programmer.  I can look a little more in to this.

Polling in this case refers to requesting a status update, frequency, vfo, 
meter values, etc., from the radio.  With the current Hamlib implementation 
the application must request that data as there is no polling mechanism built 
into Hamlib.  I don't know if any application using Hamlib that set the 
radios that support auto update into that mode (primarily Kenwoods as far as 
I know).  Some may well do so.

For the most part, it may be better just to have the application send a status 
request when it wants it since most radios operate in that manner anyway.  
Presumably, when the application makes a request it will be ready to receive 
the data Hamlib receives from the radio.  There are also varying types of 
update requests, particularly in Yaesu models, with the amount of data 
returned variable according to the request made.  So, I think it is better if 
the application do the polling of Hamlib so it can make such requests at its 
convenience and be prepared for the data returned.

73, de Nate >>

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