Re: DynamicMimeTypes

[Shaun McCance <shaunm gnome org>]

On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 23:18 +0100, Alex Jones wrote:
> Hi List
> 
> Applications like Rhythmbox and Totem have content handling capabilities
> that are dependent on GStreamer. Currently, they have to hardcode a list
> of MIME types in their Desktop Entries, which sucks a bit.
> 
> So how about we try something like I've sketched up in the attached
> diagram.
> 
> Rhythmbox can then say that it can handle all file types given by the
> registered "org.gstreamer.Audio" handler, which will return something
> like:
> 
> audio/mpeg
> audio/x-vorbis+ogg
> audio/x-flac
> ...
> 
> And these types can be munged in with the rest of the types listed in
> the Desktop Entry.
> 
> Also if someone else could think of some better terminology, that would
> be super.

There are other cases where we can't just query a library
like GStreamer.  Take, for example, File Roller.  It can
handle *LOTS* of archives formats, but only if you have
the command line tools for those formats installed.

What if we just added a MimeTypeExec field which gives
a command to run.  This command should give a list of
MIME types that are actually supported.

Then file-roller.desktop could have this:

  MimeTypeExec=/usr/libexec/file-roller-mime-types

And Ryhthmbox and Totem and such could call some
command supplied by GStreamer.

--
Shaun