Re: Application roles

[nicolas]

Selon Stefan Urbanek <stefan@agentfarms.net>:

Hi,

> What is an application role? Nothing more and nothing less than a short
> (one-two words) description what application does: 'Mailer', 'Web Browser',
> 'Text Editor'. Each developer should provide this role in a .plist and
> Workplace.app (GWorkspace) should display all application in one of the
> following ways:
> 
> Mozilla.app, Firebird.app, Opera.app (as it does currently) - honestly, would
> you know what those applications do? So what about using 'role' definition
> when displaying application name:
> Web Browser - Mozilla
> Web Browser - Firebird
> ...
> Or for users with single variant just: 'Web Browser'

Well, in fact I think the user should have the possiblity to display either the
application name, or the role, or both.. plus of course add the role name in the
workspace inspector.
 
> In addition to this, 'roles' can have more advantages in the future. With
> roles we can have 'central registry' of 'default applications'. Defautls
> database can be easily used for that. In that registry, user can (either
> using some DefaultsEditor.app or by any other way) define default
> applications for specific roles, like GNUMail for Mailer and Mozilla for Web
> Browser. What is it good for? If any other application wants to use mailing
> services, it justs asks for default application with role 'Mailer'. Or if any
> application wants to point an user to the web for some app-specific
> information, it can use 'Web Browser' default application, or DTP.app can
> forward user to Cenon as default 'Vector Editor' applictaion for inserting
> some images into a document, etc.. You get the idea.

Yes, that's an idea which is really interesting ... basically, we could have
some defined methods for a role, that an application using that role should
implement (eg, openMailWithContent:, openUrl:, things like that)
The big advantage is then that a user could transparently swap applications as
long as they correctly implement the roles functions.

> 
> What do you think?

Well that's a good idea ;-)

But there is also a problem; how do you deal with applications implementing
multiple roles ? that needs to be defined.

-- 
Nicolas Roard