shithub: sox

ref: 8a376c3c99401f239c80abbac11111a673aa2e1a
dir: /TODO/

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People are encouraged to pick some of these and implement it.  Send
all patches to cbagwell@sprynet.com.

  o Add support for writing ADPCM output in .wav files.  It really only
    feasible to add one version of ADPCM to output.  I'm leaning towards
    IMA since it could support streaming and be used in other formats.
    But of course, MS is pushing very hard to make their version the
    standard, weither inferer or not.

  o Add GSM support to WAV format.
 
  o highpass and lowpass filters don't let you specify the cut
    of freq.  Need some improvements to these filters.

  o Grab latest stand alone version of resample and replace Sox's
    outdated version.

  o Find a mantainer for each supported platform.  Try hard to shrink
    the number of makefiles by having all systems compile using one
    makefile.

  o Fix for how include files are found when fseek() is used.  In most
    configs it has to hardcode the values for things like SEEK_SET. *BAD*
    Include files are a mess, i.e. fseek problem.  Need to resort to
    something like autoconf to really support all these platforms.

  o Create a version of OSS and Sun driver that can play and record from the
    same device in duplex.

  o Internally sox can handle multiple effects on a given sound file.
    Add support for this from the command line.  Will probably need to
    break out the MCHAN to MCHAN and VCHAN to distingish effects that
    can handle Multiple channels and effects that can change the number
    of resulting channels to Various values.

  o Enhance sox for better interactive support.  This includes updating
    effect parameters in real time and ablity to start/stop/scan
    file handlers in real time.

  o More handlers!  Everyone who adds sound hardware to a computer has 
    the urge to come up with their own file format.

  o More effects!  I don't know DSP at all.  A Pitch Shifter is high
    on the list.

  o Loop support for all formats that know about it.  WAV has
    some support for loops ("cue-points") but no support for
    MIDI note numbers.  Someone needs to add this in.

  o Comment strings.  Some file formats have space for embedded comments.
    These are currently thrown away.  Printing them out, carrying them
    forward, and an to add new ones would be handy.

  o Update auto file type to include detection of .wve and .smp files.

  o An effect loop for mixing mono -> stereo -> quad with sound
    placement features: differential volume, phasing, and Doppler
    shifting when the sound moves.  Static placement would work as
    a SOX effect loop, but dynamic placement involves some scripting
    feature, or joystick input etc.

  o This software wants to be a dataflow system with signal
    sources, sinks, and processors.  It wants to be class-based.
    It wants to have a scripting control language.
    It's really a shame I hate C++.

  o Keep sox from using "fail" on errors.  Sox was supposed to be
    a sound library called "ST" but libraries shouldn't exit a program,
    they should return error codes for users to handle.

  o Enhance general robustness... For instance, malloc is called in
    lots of places without checking its return value.

SOX includes skeleton format files to assist you in supporting new 
formats, sound effect loops, and special-purpose programs.
The full skeleton format, skel.c, helps you write a driver 
for a new format which has data structures.  Skeleff.c is
a starting point for writing a sound effect loop.  Sox.c is
a good starting point for new programs.  (Someone finally
did this and told me what was wrong...)

In handlers.c, note that many formats set up the header and then
use the raw driver for reading and writing.