[asterisk-users] Recent additions to the DigiumAsterisk development team

[Rushowr]

Just in case Murf doesn't get around to answering this one, I'll stab it... 

For one thing, I can code in a style that is similar to many programming
languages, which can reduce the learning curve for many people, and
personally I think it makes the code MORE readable because If statements
follow a structure familiar to me and many others. Additionally, I
personally think it's a little more manageable and have had clients remark
on this as well after I show them comparable code from AEL2 and the
traditional Asterisk DP code.

As to your question about what can AEL do that an AGI/FastAGI app can't?
I'll name the number one and number two items on my list: 
	AEL doesn't require calling an external application
	AEL doesn't use an interpreted language such as PHP or Perl, both of
which seem to be the languages of choice for most of you cats out there
writing AGIs. 

AGI+Perl and AGI+PHP take a double performance hit compared to anything
written purely in the dialplan, because an interface has to be opened
between the two apps, control is passed back and forth, and the interpreter
has to run against the script. AEL2 is pre-parsed by the AEL2 compiler and
converted into Asterisk dialplan code when loaded into the system, not "just
in time".

Anywho, that's just my two cents...

Sherwood McGowan
Consultant, AEL2 Zealot

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Jean-Michel
Hiver
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 8:02 PM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Recent additions to the DigiumAsterisk
development team


>Steve Murphy joined our development team at the beginning of June. Steve
(murf on IRC/Mantis) had rewritten Asterisk's expression parser and the AEL
language parser as a volunteer community member, along with various other
bug fixes and improvements.
>  
>
Which makes me think, what is the real use of AEL. I have taken a look at
it, and it makes asterisk's config file almost as unreadable as SER.

What exactly does AEL do that a well written AGI / FastAGI app doesn't?

I would think (but I'm surely wrong) that it would be better to do work on
having well defined APIs that allow us to script Asterisk (such as AGI and
the Manager interface) rather than invent Yet Another Pseudo Programming
Language - which is going to be an endless task... Don't you think?

That being said, just like the rest of the community, I'm very happy with
Kevin's exciting announcement!

Cheers,
Jean-Michel.
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