Re: Generic Embeddable plugins.

Le vendredi 14 janvier 2005 à 15:54 +1100,
msevior@physics.unimelb.edu.au a écrit :
> >> They would simply use the snapshot (either png or
> >> svg).
> >>
> >> Jean can implement an embed bonobo-component plugin,
> >> I can write a MathML plugin,
> >> Dom can write netscape-plugin, plugin
> >> A KDE dev could write a K-parts plugin.
> >>
> >> If the plugin is not available, you use the
> >> snapshot. I see no reason why
> >> Jean writing a bonobo-plugin should hurt OSX or
> >> Windows.
> >
> > I assume that you're just offering this up for
> > example, but I need to make one thing clear. I'm not
> > advocating using the Netscape API. At least not yet.
> >
>
> Yes. I was being flippant, though hopeful. I'd love someone else to write
> a netscape plugin bridge :-)
>
> > What I do think is that offering *competing* plugin
> > APIs will ultimately hurt our usefulness and thus our
> > users, and not help as you'd suggest.
> >
> > I think that in order to have any real viability and
> > vendor/user buy-in, we need to adopt an existing
> > solution or else *very carefully* figure out how we
> > bridge whatever we propose to existing solutions.
> >
> > There is a treasure-trove of existing embeddable
> > functionality out there, just begging to be used. I
> > don't want it to be that we're designing a round hole
> > to fit square pegs into...
> >
>
> Over the last few hours my thoughts have evolved as follows.
>
> 1. I really don't want the netscape header files to be part of the main
> build build of abiword. I'm not entirely sure why.
>
> 2. Going with the netscape plugin API as the BASE for which we write our
> plugins forgoes the possibility of tight integration of drawing directly
> to our graphics class the way we're going with the MathML plugin.
>
> 3. The netscape API was designed for viewing web pages which are not
> edittable. Our uses are significantly different.
>
> 4. I can really see the incredible usefulness of having a widely deployed
> API which meant all the netscape plugins would "Just Work".
>
> 5. We can either shoe-horn the netscape API directly into AbiWord and then
> shoehorn the MathML plugin (and other non-netscape plugins) into that. Or
> we can write an API that comfortablly fits with AbiWord and then shoehorn
> the netscape API into that.
>
> I'd rather have an API that comfortabaly fits with AbiWord then write a
> bridge to the netscape API.
>
> Other people could write their own bridges. (bonobo, XPLC etc..)
>
> As I said I'm still feeling my way with stuff but my instinct is that once
> I have an API that works nicely with code I'm familiar with, I'm keen
> enough to try to work out how to make the netscape plugin API fit with it.
>
> I read an essay by Linus Torvalds where he said the essence of being a
> good manager was to make as few decisions as possible and make sure each
> decision was reversible.
>
> I think going the netscape API route would take me far longer and leave us
> with an unreversible decision.
>
> Cheers
>
> Martin
>
>
> > Best,
> > Dom

Martin,

I agree with you on most points. As soon you have some code, I can help
with netscape api and bonobo bridges, although w'll find some
limitations with both (saving data or printing). Anyway, let's
experiment and see if we can make things usable.

Best regards,

Jean
Received on Fri Jan 14 08:07:05 2005