> > You don't have to worry about ANYONE messing with the
> > configuration....and BE can damn sure count on the tech
> > support fee being paid!
>
> And AV is a leased system, so you have recurring license
> fees too.
>
> > What is(are)the advantage(s)of changing configurations
> this
> > way?
>
> Well, er, it's easier from a programming standpoint. It is
> a pure Windows program, and there are built-in methods in
> Windows libraries for accessing INI files. Nowadays, you're
> more likely to see XML being used for configuration, but
> since AV is an old program, they probably want to maintain
> compatibility between versions.
>
So it's about the money! Well, that's no surprise! I figured it involved writing more code.
> When you're developing a complex program that is very
> customizable, you need a way to specify the customizations.
> Take a customizable logging format, for instance. Such a
> feature would be required if you want to interface the
> system with third-party tools that have their own format.
> The easiest way from a programming standpoint is to specify
> a property like:
>
> LOG_FORMAT = "%CUT_NAME%|%mm%/%DD%/%YY%|%HH%:%MM%:%SS%
"
>
> You could, of course, create a graphical interface created
> to generate this string, but if you have a gazillion
> options, you're looking at a lot of work. Plus if anything
> changes in the specifications between releases, as a
> developer, you'd have to update all of that. And even if it
> did have a graphical interface, it would still need books
> and such to explain how to use it.
>
> If you have only, say, 10,000 customers, it can make more
> sense to train experts to handle configuration, and BE
> offers courses on how to set up the system.
>
Every other system seems to have an easier configuration with most options already provided.We are not flying the Shuttle.....we are storing and playing back audio!How may freakin' options do you really need? For a guy like you, with a graduate degree in computer sciences, the ability to fully customize the system is great.....but for most stations, the standard boilerplate will work just fine.
> There probably will be a better configuration tool sometime.
> For my graduate research project, I developed a complex
> program that composes music based upon the current condition
> of the Internet. The mapping of "Internet performance
> events" to sounds, tempo and global key is entirely
> specified in an XML text file, which for a complex musical
> composition, balloons to an enormous size. The program
> works as is, if you can write the XML file.... The next
> phase of development is to create a separate program to make
> the sound composition files. Likewise, there ought to be a
> program to edit the AV INI files.
>
That's cool....network congestion is no doubt a challange, musically! Your gonna' be one dangerous son o' bitch when you add the law degree!!!!!!!!!!
> > configuration....and BE can damn sure count on the tech
> > support fee being paid!
>
> And AV is a leased system, so you have recurring license
> fees too.
>
> > What is(are)the advantage(s)of changing configurations
> this
> > way?
>
> Well, er, it's easier from a programming standpoint. It is
> a pure Windows program, and there are built-in methods in
> Windows libraries for accessing INI files. Nowadays, you're
> more likely to see XML being used for configuration, but
> since AV is an old program, they probably want to maintain
> compatibility between versions.
>
So it's about the money! Well, that's no surprise! I figured it involved writing more code.
> When you're developing a complex program that is very
> customizable, you need a way to specify the customizations.
> Take a customizable logging format, for instance. Such a
> feature would be required if you want to interface the
> system with third-party tools that have their own format.
> The easiest way from a programming standpoint is to specify
> a property like:
>
> LOG_FORMAT = "%CUT_NAME%|%mm%/%DD%/%YY%|%HH%:%MM%:%SS%
"
>
> You could, of course, create a graphical interface created
> to generate this string, but if you have a gazillion
> options, you're looking at a lot of work. Plus if anything
> changes in the specifications between releases, as a
> developer, you'd have to update all of that. And even if it
> did have a graphical interface, it would still need books
> and such to explain how to use it.
>
> If you have only, say, 10,000 customers, it can make more
> sense to train experts to handle configuration, and BE
> offers courses on how to set up the system.
>
Every other system seems to have an easier configuration with most options already provided.We are not flying the Shuttle.....we are storing and playing back audio!How may freakin' options do you really need? For a guy like you, with a graduate degree in computer sciences, the ability to fully customize the system is great.....but for most stations, the standard boilerplate will work just fine.
> There probably will be a better configuration tool sometime.
> For my graduate research project, I developed a complex
> program that composes music based upon the current condition
> of the Internet. The mapping of "Internet performance
> events" to sounds, tempo and global key is entirely
> specified in an XML text file, which for a complex musical
> composition, balloons to an enormous size. The program
> works as is, if you can write the XML file.... The next
> phase of development is to create a separate program to make
> the sound composition files. Likewise, there ought to be a
> program to edit the AV INI files.
>
That's cool....network congestion is no doubt a challange, musically! Your gonna' be one dangerous son o' bitch when you add the law degree!!!!!!!!!!