[linux-audio-dev] Re: LADSPA Extension for Extra GUI Data

[Thorsten Wilms]

On Mon, Jun 19, 2006 at 07:51:59AM +1000, Jez Kabanov wrote:
> 
> hmm, wouldn't that mean you need to code something (or include another
> library) to parse all that description language making it difficult for
> the host coder, and requires learning of a new language for the plugin
> developer. seems much simpler and quicker for a plugin developer and host
> developer to use a simple callback.
> but the localisation is a good idea, but couldn't be handled via gettext
> in the usual manner.


A library to make hosting LV2s easy is in progress and almost finished, 
afaik.

 
> seems to me like LV2 has lots of good ideas, but is shooting itself in the
> foot with complexity?

It's rather LADSPA which shot itself in the foot:
With LADSPA, fixed data fields providing information about the plugin (like 
the number and type of ports) are inside the plugin binary, resulting in a 
number of problems:

* There is lots of tedious, but quite complex code for providing data needed 
inside every plugin source.
* The plugin has to be loaded and linked to retrieve any information about it.
* There's no support for internationalisation.
* Adding anything to the static data means breaking binary compatibility.

LV2 separates the static data into RDF files in the easy to hand-write Turtle 
syntax. This provides a solution to all of the above problems. By using RDF, 
any kind of additional data can be added by plugin authors without 
compatibility problems. Thanks to RDF namespacing, anyone can create 
extensions under their own namespace. Successful extensions can then later be 
made part of the core spec. Strings can be internationalised easily.


---
Thorsten Wilms