Re: DynamicMimeTypes

[Alex Jones <alex weej com>]

On Wed, 2007-08-15 at 14:17 -0500, Shaun McCance wrote:
> 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.

The only difference between this and what I suggested is that you are
giving an explicit path to a script (what I was calling a "handler") to
be run. It's the same idea.