D-BUS based magnification API

["Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues Diógenes" <cerdiogenes yahoo com br>]

Hi,

I would like to create a D-BUS based magnification API, but since some
radical changes where introduced in the desktop due the X composite
extension, and I'm not involved with the applications that use
gnome-mag API, I would like to hear the community before present
something.

First, I thought in develop a one-to-one map between the actual
gnome-mag API[1] and this new API, but I think that some things don't
need to go to the new API.

I'm thinking in implement this new API inside the metacity compositor,
so I don't think that the possibility to set the source and target
display is something that must be addressed by this new API. If the
user still want to use this feature, gnome-mag can be used.

I also would like to now if someone have interest in the concept of an
'unmanaged' zoom region; that is, a zoom region that have content
defined by the application using the API. Although this is something
that is in gnome-mag API, I don't know if this is working. Maybe we
can remove this from the new API.

Today the mouse tracking mode is managed by clients applications, but
appear that the AT developers would like to see this feature moved
inside the magnifier. I don't see problems with this, but I think that
we must also maintaim the possibility to also control the mouse
tracking logic by external ATs, since these applications track more
information about the environment and can alter this mouse tracking
logic.

I also read some stuff about the eZoom plugin for compiz-fusion and
some of it's API [2]. I would like to know if someone of they must be
in this new API? I saw some interesting comments about users that
would like that what they are typing be in the center of the
magnification window. This doesn't appear to be difficult to use in
the actual gnome-mag API. This just appear to be the same logic to
track the mouse in the center of the magnifier window.

I also would like to hear comments from users and ATs developers what
are the features that they miss in free software/open source
magnifiers.

Best regards,
Carlos.

[1] http://svn.gnome.org/viewcvs/gnome-mag/trunk/idl/GNOME_Magnifier.idl?view=markup
[2] http://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-accessibility-devel/2007-August/msg00014.html