Re: [jazzplusplus-devel] Initial considerations regarding inbuilt jazz++ documentation (jazz.tex)

[Pete S. <pst...@gm...>]

DM = D.B. Moore
DM> This content is now in my focus, however I've only
DM> done a preliminary perusal of the existing (old..)
DM> documentation, for the purpose of forming a rewrite
DM> stratagem. I'm hoping that raising this discussion
DM> here will help form and clarify this process
DM> *before* I actually start work in this area....so....

I'm going to keep a copy of the PDF generated from this old stuff on my 
desktop for a while.  It will help me understand the original intent of 
the code.

DM> Quite obviously, the existing documentation is quite
DM> out-of-step with what the eventual release of jazz++
DM> will be - it will look different, it may have different
DM> functions or do things in different ways than previous
DM> releases of jazz - I have no real way of accurately
DM> forecasting what these differences or changes might be
DM> - this is particularly so in the linux case with the
DM> current status of 'minimal functionality'.

All of the builds are in roughly the same state.

DM> Questions: How disparate ..functionality wise...is the
DM> current Windows build compared to the Mac & Linux
DM> positions? Are all the builds 'on the same page' as
DM> it were?

I haven't hooked the Mac version up to and device.  I'm getting help 
with that from Leland.  Leland could you introduce yourself to this list?

DM> In any event and as I infer here, updates to these
DM> areas of the documentation will become apparent as
DM> functionality increases, and will move in concert,
DM> with one area slightly behind the other.

Makes sense.  As I said, I'm relying on the old docs as a development 
guide at this point.

DM> Likewise, screen-shots are bound up in here somewhere as
DM> well.
DM>
DM> That said, other sections of jazz.tex are really dated
DM> and out-of-sync with the current linux position regarding
DM> audio/MIDI device options, be that real hardware
DM> devices/cards, or 'pseudo' devices like the many linux
DM> applicable 'softsynth' applications that exist today
DM> (which weren't around when the original docs were drafted)...
DM> not to mention many MIDI applications that have sprung up
DM> between then and now as well.
DM>
DM> Seeing as we both agreed upon some form of 'how to use jazz++
DM> with 'x'' (where 'x' is one of those applications I speak
DM> of above) section, I'll get to a draft of that in the coming
DM> time. Remember though, interoperability and functionality
DM> usually go hand in hand, and so I'm thinking everything
DM> I've touched on so far will move forward at about the same
DM> rate...
DM>
DM> Other sections, I want to fix right away....in particular,
DM> references to 'OSS' sound drivers for linux. I mean...even
DM> if one does want to use the old OSS API, you're going to
DM> use 'snd-*-oss' modules that plugin to the alsasound API
DM> ...so I think OSS is fairly redundant stuff now.
DM>
DM> I think what I would like to do, is remove all references
DM> to the old OSS modules altogether, and instead just touch
DM> upon same in a short introductory paragraph to this
DM> particular section, along the lines of -- 'In the past,
DM> jazz++ relied on the now deprecated 'OSS' sound drivers in
DM> linux, to......'  , following this up with a short paragraph
DM> explaining the state of play now with linux and the alsasound
DM> drivers....and beyond that, the configuration details focus
DM> entirely on what's current with linux today.
DM>
DM> What do we think here? Comments? Thoughts?

Sounds good to me.

Last post of the night for me.

Good night, and see you all tomorrow,
Pete