#1 Burning Software

Hey all at RocketDivision.Com...

First of all, I'd like to say that you've made a great toolkit at all.
But let me have a little critical look at it. May I?

There are in fact some circumstances not really nice for us (developers)...let me tell you now...

1) Function prototypes don't look familiar to me (and probably other developers too)
It's very unusual to pass tons of bool's by reference to a function, use a bitfield instead, and test like:
...
StarBurn_GetDriveCapabilties( pvDrive, &dwCaps );
if ( dwCaps & SB_CANREAD_DVDPLUS )
{
// do something...
}
....

The naming of the variables is also very unusual:
why not simply pvCdvdBurnerGrabber instead of p__PVOID__CdvdBurnerGrabber ???

2) Documentation
I was glad to see, that there is a manual.pdf shipped, but the description of each function is missing! Instead, you refere to the examples (in doc and external in the c-samples) but when I look at the samples (in doc) I see, how to create an DiscObjkect and how to destroy it (There are 74 functions, and you show this create/destroy 74 times!!!! who needs this?) while the specific function is simply called without any further explaination...a "what to do next, after the function returned" is also missing.
Also, finding a specific function in the pdf (printout) is very hard and it would be much easier, if you leave out the create/destroy examples which could decrease the pages by half, I think.
The external samples (C) don't give (me) any overview of the using of the functions. Actually, I'm studying your documentation AND the samples for 2 or 3 days and I still have no idea, how to copy an Audio CD "on the fly" or extract tracks from a CD.
Your C-samples are organized by functions - one sample for each (great) function. Instead, an oragnization by use would make more sense: How to copy an Audio CD, How to extract Tracks and write them to files, How to copy a DVD and so on...
Also a bit more explaination for several parameters would be nice (what's the use of p__BOOLEAN__IsSingleLBTransferForced when using StarBurn_CdvdBurnerGrabber_GrabTrack ?) even if you mentioned, that you assume a good understanding of the technics - remember that the users of your SDK will use it, BECAUSE they are NOT specialists in scope of CD/DVD technics! Actually, most of them were looking for such a "black-box" like StarBurn, because they don't want to dive in ASPI and/or writing on CD/DVD for to deep!

3) The nicest thing at all: It's all for free (as long as our software is for free)
One of the most interesting thing at all is the license. History shows, that lots of famous software started as Freeware and switched to commercial after a while, so it's very nice, to get your SDK for free, as long as the software is for free, too.
I'm developing on a (Freeware) mp3 organizer which also uses Gracenotes CDDB (also free for non-commercials) and on the starting screen and inside the About-Box, the tools, that are used are mentioned by name and by (Web-)address. Why do you want to annoy the developers AND endusers with your startup-screen?
I get this screen on every build!! (because the application is ole-automated, so after every build it's startet in order to registrate and by this, your DLL is opened and will show the screen) - when developing GUI-applications, you will build often - the screen is really annoying!

I hope, you still like me!

I know, the solving of some of the things, mentioned above, may be time-consuming, so I'd be glad, if I could help you with this (e.g. when I already know, how to copy an Audio CD , I'd like to send you some sample projects as mentioned in 2)...some "How To's" ).
Feel free to Email me (Spin.Doctor@gmx.de)

Best wishes
Spin

SpinDoctor,

well... Let's start

1) Your first assertation is a bit questionable. "What is OK for Russian is deadly for German" (c) ... You like bitmasks and "single tag" variable naming (DWORD dwVariable) and like boolean values and "double tag" variable naming (DWORD l__DWORD__Variable). This is question of taste and nothing more. Originally I've created SDK for myself and that's why I've used naming conventions I'm conformable with.

2) I agree with you at this point. We'll recreate manual providing more of the details of what to do and how to do with some particular functions. Complete samples embedded to help system and manual is what quite a lot of people asked as "nice to have".

There is no way to copy Audio CD "on-the-fly" that's why you can spend all your life trying to determine how to do this GrabDisc and GrabTrack are samples of how to create whole disc or particular track images. Again, samples for SDK functions is what PEOPLE asked. Very easy and light-weight. What you like most of the other people do not. However we'll have large C++ samples soon. But not INSTEAD but rather as IN ADDITION to easy and small C ones.

3) How do you expect us to show us to the rest of the would? We're not amateurs and hobbysts and making our living from what we sell. If we'll stop adding banners nobady would purchase commercial and even very democratically priced shareware versions. That's why we prefer to keep banner in the downloadable version and OR SPECIAL REQUESTS provide programmers with special builds w/o banner. So put direct link to us on your web page with a lot of thanks, put information about us in your app about box and you'd be issued with banner less version of StarBurn. Specially built for you.

That's whole story

Thanks for the quick answer, Anton...

well, 1) is OK (actually, it doesn't really matter, how the naming of variables are...), 2) is also OK (looking forward seeing those large C++ samples), even if an "on the fly" copy would have been nice... 3) is very OK...what do you think about this startup-screen/about-box:

As you can see, a link to RocketDivision and the Product (StarBurn SDK) is still missing yet - I will add it as soon, as it's integrated...
Am I qualified for a special build now???

Anyway, my intention was not, to make anyone at RocketDivision angry...

Very Best Wishes to all of you
Spin

SpinDoctor,

yup! If you'll add also a DIRECT link to us from your product homepage I assume we have a deal Just drop me an e-mail to anton@rocketdivision.com so we could talk about how to make StarBurn.dll linked back to your product so nobady could take banner free StarBurn.dll from your app package and use if with other software and you'll have your own custom build.

Whoops... Sorry for being suspected in being angry. I'm definitely not

Thanks!