[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Sound patches to be added (diffs

[Raimar Falke <hawk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Aug 20, 2001 at 08:45:39AM +0200, col@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > 
> > > > > > You should probably check the return value of the system() call that
> > > > > > plays the sound.
> > > > >
> > > > > and what sould I do with the return value ??? That doesn't bring
> > > > > something as you can see from the discussion. Either play doesn't fail
> > > > > than there is a sound play or play fails and it is like it was until 
> > > > > this
> > > > > patch came.
> > > >
> > > > My man page says that if the return value is 127 (and errno is set
> > > > appropriately) it means the program failed to execute.  An error message
> > > > (to freelog or possibly even stderr) should be sent in this case.
> > > > Otherwise sound will silently fail!
> > > >
> > > > Of course, even if it fails we're no worse off than we are now, but
> > > > that's no reason not to do things properly...
> > > 
> > > I think that play and the bash writes a good understandable error message 
> > > to 
> > > stdout / stderr so we don't have to do this.
> > 
> > What if the freeciv log is redirected with "-l" and the user will only
> > look at it and not the normal std/stderr?
> 
> Come on, I don't think that making a hundred lines of code is better
> than telling the user to have a look @ stderr if sound fails.

I don't like the idea that a command freeciv starts writes
uncontrolled to stdout/stderr. Either the command fails and freeciv
should display the message of the command or the command works and its
output should be sent to /dev/null.

> > > > > > Naming all of the units shouldn't be done in the sound file.  If you
> > > > > > want to do it outside of the sources, it should ultimately be put 
> > > > > > into
> > > > > > some other spec file.  In fact, a lot of the options you've put into
> > > > > > the sound spec file are inappropriate - for instance, defining the 
> > > > > > play
> > > > > > command in this file means anyone using an incompatible platform 
> > > > > > must
> > > > > > use a different sound spec file!
> > > > >
> > > > > No, I don't think so. First point: Naming the units in the sound file 
> > > > > is
> > > > > good for mod makers.
> > > >
> > > > Ugh.
> > > 
> > > Why not ?!
> > 
> > The question is still: Why? Why include the names at all? Why is this
> > better for mod makers?
> 
> I'll have some more looks @ the sources to do better.
> 
> > > > > Second point: Maybe you define a specfile which doesn't play wave.
> > > > > Instead it plays MP3s or AC3s than you have to use another program.
> > > >
> > > > Hmmm, good point.  How, then, will you deal with different platforms???
> > > > Can we have a separate config file that specifies different executables
> > > > to be used for different file types?  This could then be changed between
> > > > platforms without having to maintain separate versions of the main sound
> > > > spec file.  (This sounds like something for later patch to accomplish.)
> > > 
> > > Maybe we have to add a play command for other platforms ?!
> > 
> > As a configure option or maybe also as a command line argument.
> 
> Who makes the windows/beos/amiga-clients ? Can I mail them ???

See freeciv/PEOPLE, But I would assume they read here as well.

        Raimar
-- 
 email: rf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 "I haven't lost my mind - it's backed up on tape somewhere."