Re: [Audacity-devel] PATCH: export multiple format restructuring

[Markus M. <me...@me...>]

James Crook schrieb:
> the external representation of a choice, right?  My compiler isn't smart 
> enough to check that the program and data in repository are compatible 
> at compile time, whether it is done as a string or as a number :-)
>   
The patch in question changes the internal _and_ the external
representation. I would have no problem writing a string to the config
file but using an integer internally, though that would need conversion
code which is not worth the trouble IMHO. I just think that there is a
reason why C++ has an enum type. Using strings for something where an
enum could be used
* uses more storage than necessary
* wastes clock cycles
* is more error prone because there is no way for the compiler to report
a mistyped value ("if (s==wxT("mp3 ")")

> I would have no problem at all with a change over to strings in the 
> external representation, and would see it as a small improvement.
>   
Maybe, but at least backwards compatibility of the settings file should
be maintained.

> I argued exactly the opposite way on using strings-vs-ints *within* 
> Audacity for bitmap ids.  In that case the 'magic numbers' are not 
> visible even in the code, instead we see the symbolic names and the 
> compiler/linker *is* ensuring no mismatches.  In that case we get better 
> readability, better efficiency and better correctness checking by using 
> ints.
>   
As I said, we're talking about internal _and_ external representation here.


Markus