Proposal 8 - Open issue - Channel Information File

[derpmann]

We don't need a Channel Information File

In the proposal 8 of the main document a Channel Information File (see 6.1) is mandatory if the the Channel subdirectory is used (see 6.4)
In the proposal 8 of the RED A the following specification is used (see 1.2.5):

Code: Select all

 The descriptive information about all channels has to be stored in the header section of each channel file. It is not necessary to store this data in a redundant channel information file. 

Problems:

• 1) If we don't use a Channel Information File we have to change the main document.

• 2) If we don't use a Channel Information File a software system has to read all channel headers.

• 3) If we don't use a Channel Information File there is no compatibility to MME 1.x and a differing handling of the subdirectories.

• 4) If we use a Channel Information File we have redundant information and need rules for the hierarchy/order.

Solutions:

• A) We use no Channel Information File and change the main document.

• B) We use a Channel Information File and the rules described in the proposal 7 RED A 1.2.5 (see below).

• C) I describe another solution.

My preference:
I prefer solution B.

proposal 7 RED A 1.2.5 :

1.2.5 Channel information
The descriptive information about all channels has to be stored within one channel information file in the Channel- subdirectory or in the header section of each channel file. It is possible to use both at the same time. In this case the information of the channel file overrides the information of the channel information file.

[Paul Wellicome]

Open issue – channel information file

We agreed to adopt proposal B) [We use a Channel Information File and the rules described in the proposal 7 RED A 1.2.5] and to change the main. This would be an additional sentence at the end of section 5.1: “Information files are described in more detail in related electronic document A.”. RED-A would then give the rule about its use and the priority being the information in the file headers. The main use for the channel information file is for sorting.

There was much discussion about whether the channel information file should be optional and whether the files should use the block structure (as the other information files do). We decided that in the channel files, the headers are mandatory/optional as already defined; in the information files, if you use the block structure then the descriptor ‘channel code’ is mandatory for each channel and all other descriptors are optional. (The channel code is optional in the channel file because it is part of the filename.) In the example for RED-A, we would not include other descriptors in the channel information file.