asterisk users - Nov 2008 - SendImage()

SendImage() in 1.4:

---cut---
  SendImage(filename): Sends an image on a channel.
If the channel supports image transport but the image send
fails, the channel will be hung up. Otherwise, the dialplan
continues execution.
The option string may contain the following character:
    'j' -- jump to priority n+101 if the channel doesn't support
image transport
This application sets the following channel variable upon completion:
    SENDIMAGESTATUS        The status is the result of the attempt as a text
string, one of
        OK | NOSUPPORT
---cut---

in 1.6:

---cut---
  SendImage(filename): Sends an image on a channel.
Result of transmission will be stored in SENDIMAGESTATUS
channel variable:
    SUCCESS      Transmission succeeded
    FAILURE      Transmission failed
    UNSUPPORTED  Image transmission not supported by channel
---cut---

Is there any reason to break backwards compatibility?
Why is "SUCCESS" better than "OK" and
"UNSUPPORTED" better than
"NOSUPPORT"?
IMHO there was no need to change anything except for adding
the "FAILURE" return status.

Might be a -dev question though.


   Philipp Kempgen

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Philipp Kempgen wrote:
> SendImage() in 1.4:
>
> ---cut---
>   SendImage(filename): Sends an image on a channel.
> If the channel supports image transport but the image send
> fails, the channel will be hung up. Otherwise, the dialplan
> continues execution.
> The option string may contain the following character:
>     'j' -- jump to priority n+101 if the channel doesn't
support image transport
> This application sets the following channel variable upon completion:
>     SENDIMAGESTATUS        The status is the result of the attempt as a
text string, one of
>         OK | NOSUPPORT
> ---cut---
>
> in 1.6:
>
> ---cut---
>   SendImage(filename): Sends an image on a channel.
> Result of transmission will be stored in SENDIMAGESTATUS
> channel variable:
>     SUCCESS      Transmission succeeded
>     FAILURE      Transmission failed
>     UNSUPPORTED  Image transmission not supported by channel
> ---cut---
>
> Is there any reason to break backwards compatibility?
> Why is "SUCCESS" better than "OK" and
"UNSUPPORTED" better than
> "NOSUPPORT"?
> IMHO there was no need to change anything except for adding
> the "FAILURE" return status.
>
> Might be a -dev question though
This is typical of the criticism that has been levelled at Digium time 
and time and time again - making changes that don't really add any 
functionality, but break compatibility.

I had a hell of a time migrating a couple of systems from 1.2 to 1.4 - 
so much that I have no plans at all in the near future of migrating them 
from 1.4 to 1.6.

Even the comments made at the time suggesting a parsing tool be provided 
to point out where changes to dialplan code would be required got a 
"nice idea" response, but nothing has been forthcoming.

This habit of breaking functionality for limited or no reason, plus 
making the results from functions far /less/ useful (note my previous 
complaints about the REALTIME() function) and more difficult to use is 
the biggest problem with Asterisk bar none.