Audio device object methods

The audio device objects are returned by open define the following methods (except control objects which only provide getinfo, setinfo and drain):
\begin{funcdesc}{close}{} This method explicitly closes the device. It is useful... ...other references to it. A closed device should not be used again. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{drain}{} This method waits until all pending output is processe... ...ically close the audio device and this will do an implicit drain. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{flush}{} This method discards all pending output. It can be use... ...r's stop request (due to buffering of up to one second of sound). \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{getinfo}{} This method retrieves status information like input ... ...e{i_gain} and \code{monitor_gain} plainly as \code{monitor_gain}. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{ibufcount}{} This method returns the number of samples that are... ... program will not block on a \code{read} call of so many samples. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{obufcount}{} This method returns the number of samples buffered... ...ocking since the kernel output queue length seems to be variable. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{read}{size} This method reads \var{size} samples from the audio... ...ython string. The function blocks until enough data is available. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{setinfo}{status} This method sets the audio device status param... ... returned by \code{getinfo} and possibly modified by the program. \end{funcdesc}

\begin{funcdesc}{write}{samples} Write is passed a python string containing audi... ...r space free it will immedeately return, otherwise it will block. \end{funcdesc}
There is a companion module, SUNAUDIODEV, which defines useful symbolic constants like MIN_GAIN, MAX_GAIN, SPEAKER, etc. The names of the constants are the same names as used in the C include file <sun/audioio.h>, with the leading string AUDIO_ stripped. Useability of the control device is limited at the moment, since there is no way to use the 'wait for something to happen' feature the device provides. This is because that feature makes heavy use of signals, and these do not map too well onto Python.