Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:25 pm Post subject: [Asterisk-doc] "The Extensions.conf Cookbook" chapter
Jared Smith wrote:
Quote:
On Mon, 2003-12-29 at 21:55, Steven Critchfield wrote:
>>Configuring Channels
>> The PBX Side of Asterisk
>> Zaptel cards and config
>> Configurating Zapata
>> Channel Banks
>> PRI/Channelized Voice T1s
>> CAPI/ISDN
>> ... etc
>> The VoIP side of Asterisk
>> Configurating SIP
>> Configurating IAX
>> Configurating H323/OH323
>> ... etc
>> Sample Configurations (Working Sample Configurations)
>>
>>
>While this might be helpful, but in a print form this is a lot of space
>that is not much more than what the cookbook and a few pieces will be.
>Not to mention there is a sample that comes with the asterisk source.
>
>
Unfortunately, the sample that comes with the asterisk source has very
little explanation. Somewhere in the book we should have a couple of
well-documented sample configurations, so that people can at least get
to the "Look! I made a phone ring!" stage. I don't really care if this
gets pushed to an Appendix or maybe even just the website... but it
ought to be *somewhere*. (Or, maybe we just point them to one of the
other third-party Asterisk websites?!?)
Perhaps, then, what is needed is a basic to advanced approach. First,
you give the reader an example extensions.conf with basic details:
contexts, extensions, etc. to introduce them to what they're dealing
with. Then, break down all the pieces and go over them thouroughly.
Finally, put them all back togeather with advaned extensions.conf.
Think about how you learned programming. At least for me, when I
learned C++ and Perl (the first languages I used a book to learn), I was
first given a program. I had to type it and run it. (It was something
stupid, like counting peas in a pod). Then, the programming book broke
it down statement-by-statement and I got to learn about variables, how
they were assigned, I/O functions, and the like. I always thought this
was a good way to learn: if I were to be lectured first about constructs
and objects and variables, I would have skimmed. Then, when I was given
an example, I would only half-way understand. With the example first, I
was excited to find how exactally how the magic was worked by the
program. When I did graduate computer classes for teachers, we used a
the same technique (adapted for instructor-led classes): I do it, I tell
you how I did it, you do it, I give you a challenge (then the process
repeats: I do the challenge...).
While I agree with Steven that there are people who are better served as
customers, it seems like a lot of smart people really can get hung up on
getting the details first and the example later.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:44 pm Post subject: [Asterisk-doc] "The Extensions.conf Cookbook" chapter
On Tue, 2003-12-30 at 15:25, Nick Bachmann wrote:
Quote:
Perhaps, then, what is needed is a basic to advanced approach. First,
you give the reader an example extensions.conf with basic details:
contexts, extensions, etc. to introduce them to what they're dealing
with. Then, break down all the pieces and go over them thouroughly.
Finally, put them all back togeather with advaned extensions.conf.
Think about how you learned programming. At least for me, when I
learned C++ and Perl (the first languages I used a book to learn), I was
first given a program. I had to type it and run it. (It was something
stupid, like counting peas in a pod). Then, the programming book broke
it down statement-by-statement and I got to learn about variables, how
they were assigned, I/O functions, and the like. I always thought this
was a good way to learn: if I were to be lectured first about constructs
and objects and variables, I would have skimmed. Then, when I was given
an example, I would only half-way understand. With the example first, I
was excited to find how exactally how the magic was worked by the
program. When I did graduate computer classes for teachers, we used a
the same technique (adapted for instructor-led classes): I do it, I tell
you how I did it, you do it, I give you a challenge (then the process
repeats: I do the challenge...).
While I agree with Steven that there are people who are better served as
customers, it seems like a lot of smart people really can get hung up on
getting the details first and the example later.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2003 9:34 pm Post subject: [Asterisk-doc] "The Extensions.conf Cookbook" chapter
On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 10:16:06 -0700, Jared Smith wrote:
[snip]
Quote:
> It might be a good idea to pick Marks brain and see if the function
> style is the preferred method for the future and stick to just that
> method. Maybe a note about old methods, but all examples should fit to
> the preferred method. It ties into my comment about consistent spelling
> and capitalization. It should be fairly difficult to tell where
> different authors start and stop other than maybe a few nuances in word
> choice or sentence structure.
Agreed. Do we do Dial(foo|bar|widget) or Dial(foo,bar,widget) or
Dial,foo,bar,widget? I know which one I prefer... What do the rest of
you think?
I think we should standardize the doc to one way (personally I don't
care) but tell the readers that they can use whatever format they want
- and list those formats.
I'm a coder, so I use the Dial(foo,bar,widget) way, but thats just me.
:)
[snip]
Quote:
Maybe we need two cookbooks... a "Gentle Examples for Beginning Cooks"
chapter and a "Awesome Recipes for Experienced Chefs" chapter? Or
should we just make one giant cookbook, that starts off simple and then
gets hairy at the end?
Hmmm I like the first personally... But thats only because I learn this
sort of stuff really fast. So I do an overview of the "basics" and
move on to the "advance" stuff asap. But other then that, I can use
either layout.
Quote:
> While this might be helpful, but in a print form this is a lot of space
> that is not much more than what the cookbook and a few pieces will be.
> Not to mention there is a sample that comes with the asterisk source.
Unfortunately, the sample that comes with the asterisk source has very
little explanation. Somewhere in the book we should have a couple of
well-documented sample configurations, so that people can at least get
to the "Look! I made a phone ring!" stage. I don't really care if this
gets pushed to an Appendix or maybe even just the website... but it
ought to be *somewhere*. (Or, maybe we just point them to one of the
other third-party Asterisk websites?!?)
I think the book should have the sample configs. I'm not talking about
"Hey, here is a load of sample configs that have comments in them!"...
What I was thinking was we could put down two or three example
configurations in an appendix, all with network/server layouts,
configs, and all the documentation that is required. Then throughout
the whole book, we can refer to those configs so any of our examples.
Stating partial config's when we need to, and refering them to the full
blown config in the appendix.
So, for example... The first "Config" would be very simple and would
be the most used example throughout the book. This example would be the
"Starter Kit". A second config might have a T1, etc. A Third config
might have multiple Asterisk Servers, the ability to do Fall Over to
other servers, etc.
We would - of course - also offer online in a downloadable format for
their ease. This would allow the book to be very structured, and easy
to read because the reader would not have to worry about 100 diffrent
example configs/setups because 100 diffrent people wrote the book.
--Greg
-------------------------------------
Greg Varga
Author for RocketryNews
http://www.rocketrynews.com
CAR # 677
-------------------------------------
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject: [Asterisk-doc] "The Extensions.conf Cookbook" chapter
Why not along with the section on extensions.conf, have an appendix for conf
files with all conf files in an easy format for readers. A one stop shop for
conf reference.
Just my thoughts.
bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Leif Madsen" <leif@hacklocalhost.com>
To: <asterisk-doc@lists.digium.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: [Asterisk-doc] "The Extensions.conf Cookbook" chapter
Quote:
On Tue, 2003-12-30 at 15:25, Nick Bachmann wrote:
> Perhaps, then, what is needed is a basic to advanced approach. First,
> you give the reader an example extensions.conf with basic details:
> contexts, extensions, etc. to introduce them to what they're dealing
> with. Then, break down all the pieces and go over them thouroughly.
> Finally, put them all back togeather with advaned extensions.conf.
>
> Think about how you learned programming. At least for me, when I
> learned C++ and Perl (the first languages I used a book to learn), I was
> first given a program. I had to type it and run it. (It was something
> stupid, like counting peas in a pod). Then, the programming book broke
> it down statement-by-statement and I got to learn about variables, how
> they were assigned, I/O functions, and the like. I always thought this
> was a good way to learn: if I were to be lectured first about constructs
> and objects and variables, I would have skimmed. Then, when I was given
> an example, I would only half-way understand. With the example first, I
> was excited to find how exactally how the magic was worked by the
> program. When I did graduate computer classes for teachers, we used a
> the same technique (adapted for instructor-led classes): I do it, I tell
> you how I did it, you do it, I give you a challenge (then the process
> repeats: I do the challenge...).
>
> While I agree with Steven that there are people who are better served as
> customers, it seems like a lot of smart people really can get hung up on
> getting the details first and the example later.
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