[Evolution] Re: Getting started programming/plugins ??

[William Case <billlinux rogers com>]

Hi; 

"Just dive in."  Several months ago, that was the advice I received here
when I asked some questions about making changes to evolution.

It sounded like good advice at the time.  I now have to confess that I
can't even find the diving board.  If someone can take a few moments to
respond, the type of rudimentary advice that I need is the following:

     1. What programming skills do I need to develop?  (I have done
        minor macro's etc. using VBA in my Windows days.  I have a
        beginner's knowledge of C.  On the other hand, I have been using
        computers as a lowly user for thirty years.)
     2. Where can I find basic documentation that shows the libraries,
        files, there location etc. plus the various commands, variables
        and constants?  I have googled and searched the gnome-evolution
        developers site. 
     3. Is there a map of all the programming components and a
        description of each component's function?
     4. How do the use of programs in C, Mono, XML, Camel etc. fit
        together?
     5. Which source files should I download ? The latest? Evolution
        2.2.3? All?

I don't expect the above questions to be answered necessarily, but I
have included them to show the info I think I need.

I have been using Linux for almost two years now, and it seems to me the
time for me to climb deeper into its operation is now.  Evolution
deals/uses most of the OS components that I am interested in, so even if
the learning curve for Evolution is steep it seems like a good place to
start.  Currently, most of the things I want to look at and/or change
are superficial (eg. graphics, printouts, menus, toolbars) or only
relevant to a small SOHO network with a POP3 Internet provider.

I am using Fedora Core 4; Evolution 2.2.3.

This question has probably been asked a thousand times; but, honestly
I've looked and haven't found anything really helpful.  Everything is
either far too simplistic or starts with assumptions about levels of
knowledge that I haven't yet acquired.

Regards Bill