[Klug-general] Linux Sound Programming

[James Morris]

On Sun, March 21, 2010 06:34, Thomas Edward Groves wrote:
> Like comments in programs maybe?
>
> I'd like to see some of this "programming that doesn't need documentation"
> but I never have.
>
> Also it's all very well claiming that *you* don't need books but where do
> I start on a new subject?
> Ask for a simple example and get a chunk of code that assumes that I
> already
> know all the background?

Ok, I'm not saying I don't need books. I have several C programming books,
but none of them are Linux specific. I have one linux specific programming
book, which occasionally came in useful, but for the most part is
completely out of date - the API's have changed, or what were standard
system tools (or standard API's) back when the book was written have
changed, or had major version updates, or have simply deprecated. Open
source software changes so fast it makes buying the books fairly pointless
especially when there are so many sources of information online.


> Here's a generalisation for you: all Linux programmers are complicators,
> not simplifiers.
>
> So don't just write good code, comment it lavishly.
> (Example for Kevin Groves: in your two programs what is ARGV[1]?
> It *looks* like it's an audio device but in that case where is the sound
> file?)

How much do you know? Do you know what an array is? Do you know how to
pass command line options to a C program? ARGV[1] is the 2nd element in an
array called ARGV. I suspect it's a parameter to main() - ie an array of
char strings made from the options passed to the program.

A programmer has to assume the reader of the code has a certain amount of
knowledge - the more complex a piece of code gets, only the important
stuff where it needs to be commented because the code does not make it
clear is commented - and this is more for the developer who wrote the code
- he/she will comment it because they are aware they'll forget what it
does, and the comment will prevent them from mistakenly thinking it does
something wrong etc.


A great place to ask programming questions and you'll usually get fast
responses, is stackoverflow.com

and the man pages, (in debian, glibc-doc-reference )

james.


> Apart from that: happy flaming folks.
> Tom
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Peter Childs <peterachilds at gmail.com>
> To: Kent Linux User Group - General Topics <kent at mailman.lug.org.uk>
> Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 6:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [Klug-general] Linux Sound Programming
>
>
>> On 20 March 2010 16:32, James Morris <james at jwm-art.net> wrote:
>> > On Sat, March 20, 2010 06:13, Thomas Edward Groves wrote:
>> >> So much for having a yard of books on Linux!
>> >>
>> >> Why is *all* documentation so out-of-date / wrong / misleading?
>> >
>> > A) that's a massive over generalization
>> > B) most people aren't interested in writing documentation
>> > C) books on linux are a utter waste of time and space
>> >
>> > james
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Its a skill that many Developers don't have and people see little value
> in.
>>
>> Software is of continued usefulness to people, Documentation you read
>> once and never read again if at all.
>>
>> The best programs are so well designed they don't need documentation.
>>
>> (Three more massive over generalizations)
>>
>> Peter.
>>
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>>
>
>
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