Re: GConf Stability - how to add icons to panel

[Havoc Pennington <hp redhat com>]

On Fri, 2005-02-04 at 16:03 -0600, Brian Cameron wrote:
> 
> Recently, a team at Sun wanted to integrate their own icons into the panel,
> and worked with one of my co-workers to integrate via the mechanisms described
> here:
> 
>    http://acd.ucar.edu/~fredrick/linux/gnomeconfig/
> 

Yuck, if you need to know how gconftool works just ask ;-) or read the
code...

> 1. To fulfil our needs to create an internal contract at Sun, it would be great
>     if someone could explain the correct/best approach for integrating into
>     the panel.  It would also be useful if people could highlight if this
>     interface is Stable and will be supported in an on-going fashion.

I think we should provide a script:
  gnome-panel-add-launcher foo.desktop

Because a) it's too hard for people to figure out the official way and
b) we keep having to change how the panel config works.

> 2. It would probably be a good idea if someone put together a document that
>     could go on the dgo website that explains which GConf keys are intended to
>     be Stable integration points that should be supported in a backwards
>     compatible fashion.  I'd be happy to put together something.  Would going
>     through the Admin Guide and digging out all the Gconf keys that we recommend
>     user's change be the best way to get this information.  Are there additional
>     documents that might be recommending GConf changes that should be supported?

I don't think we ever want to say that a given gconf key will have a
given effect in all future versions. It's just inherently too limiting
(it's the same as saying the UI will never change).
However, I think we must/do say that they never change in a stable
release.

For things that ISV apps might want to do, like add a menu item or
launcher, we should provide some more abstract API or command line tools
than direct gconf modification.

That's my view anyhow.

Havoc