On Feb 2, 2014 1:05 PM, <chirp.cordless@xoxy.net> wrote:
> I haven't seen this kind of development meta-discussion, so here goes:

This kind of discussion usually happens on the chirp_devel mailling list:
http://intrepid.danplanet.com/mailman/listinfo/chirp_devel

> I guess the process would be to change a setting via the radio's buttons,
> read into chirp. and record what changed in the data stream. Rinse and
> repeat. If someone (me, for example) were to do that and provide the map,
> would that likely be enough to have someone else pick it up and code it into Chirp?

Yep, you've got the process figured out.

> And if so, what form should the 'map' take? Several hundred complete
> radio images seems less than optimal to me, for several reasons,
> most obviously that it still needs interpretation to code from.
> I could probably do a Python const data structure or equivalent
> if pointed to an example.

I think the best option would be for you to learn the syntax for the Chirp bitwise memory format. It takes its inspiration from c structs, so it should be very familiar to you. It is not Python, but a syntax Dan created to represent radio memory structures. It suits Chirp very well. You can find examples in every radio driver, usually at the top of the file in a string called MEM_FORMAT:
http://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/chirp/repository/entry/chirp/ft60.py#L108

If you can define the radio's memory layout in that format, and document the associated values (e.g., APO: 0: off, 1: 30m, 2: 1h, 3: 2h, etc.), then another Chirp dev should be able to pick up your work and add the GUI elements.

Please send your reply to the chirp_devel list so the right audience sees it.

Tom KD7LXL