Re: [Hamlib-developer] Extra functions vs. extra CHECKBUTTON levels

[George B. <geo...@gm...>]

Hello, Stefan

On 7/17/25 2:24 PM, Stefan Jansen wrote:
> Hi George,
>
> Thanks for your reply. Well, I understand the concept of extra 
> functions/levels/parameters in general and I see that it is a great 
> possibility to access additional controls of a rig.
>
> My question was more related especially to the CHECKBUTTON levels. As 
> the type CHECKBUTTON suggests to me, these levels are more like 
> something you turn on and off. So I was asking myself why CHECKBUTTON 
> levels should not better be modeled as extra functions. Functions also 
> have an on/off mental model behind.
>
> And maybe as an additional question: What is the conceptual idea 
> bhindd parameters? What makes them different from levels and why 
> weren’t they just built into hamlib as levels?
>
>
That question I can't answer; they were in Hamlib long before I even 
knew it existed.  If I had to guess, the answer would be flexibility 
again.  If a backend is setting only off/on values, it can model 
everything as a function.  If it is setting levels, it can model an 
oddball on/off value as a CHECKBOX level.

Remember, these operations are for tweaking unique features - they need 
as much wiggle room as the manufacturers have in designing them.

73 n3gb

> Vy 73 de Stefan, DK7STJ
>
> --
> Stefan Jansen    ***    E-Mail: DK...@da...
>
>> Am 16.07.2025 um 03:34 schrieb George Baltz <geo...@gm...>:
>>
>> Why?  Flexibility. The dummy rig has examples of the types of 
>> controls that can be implemented by any backend(i.e., the rig handler 
>> itself) for whatever reason it may have.  Those extra 
>> controls/functions/levels are meant to be as general as possible so 
>> any type of data can be passed, for whatever needs that may arise.  
>> They may be unique to a single model, or to a set of models, but they 
>> are not generally available.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> n3gb
>>
>> On 7/15/25 5:10 PM, Stefan Jansen wrote:
>>> Hi dear hamlib project team,
>>>
>>> When reviewing the output of —dump-caps of some rigs, also the dummy 
>>> rig has this, I saw that there are sometimes extra levels of type 
>>> CHECKBUTTON. Thosr can, as far as I understand, have just values 0 
>>> and 1.
>>>
>>> If the above is true, then I do not understand why someone would 
>>> implement such a 0-1-level, as there are already extra functions 
>>> that have exactly that states, namely 0 or 1, off and on.
>>>
>>> Could you please explain the idea behind having those kind of 
>>> CHECKBUTTON extra levels and not implementing them just as extra 
>>> functions?
>>>
>>>
>>> Vy 73 de Stefan, DK7STJ
>>>
>>> --
>>> Stefan Jansen    ***    E-Mail: DK...@da...
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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