Re: GNOME::Selector

[Martin Baulig <martin home-of-linux org>]

Joe Shaw <joe ximian com> writes:

> > so which non-file uses do you envision for this interface?
> 
> And perhaps that non-file selector should be developed in parallel with
> the file selector, so we can be sure that the final interface is generic
> (and in this case more complicated) but adequate for our needs, so we
> don't end up with another GtkCList.

You guys are all talking about file selectors ...

The file selector is the most basic and most trivial implementation
of GNOME::Selector - and it clearly doesn't need all of it's functionality.

What I want to use GNOME::Selector for is at least:

* GnomeImageSelector

  This uses the standard GtkCombo in the entry widget (see the Anatomy diagram)
  and a GnomeIconList in the selector widget and it can pop up a file selector
  dialog (which is, of course, a component).

* GnomeImageEntry

  This has two modes of operation - as pixmap or as icon entry.

  The icon entry is what was GnomeIconEntry in GNOME 1.x. The pixmap entry has
  the standard GtkCombo in the entry widget and an image preview in the preview
  area. Both of them can pop up a dialog with a GnomeImageSelector or another
  component in it.

* A file selector for special file types

  This one still needs to be written - we need two things:

  a) a generic file selector component

     This can be a simple BonoboControl with an e-table or a clist in it
     which displays a file list (I'll write a very simple sample implementation
     this weekend, something which can be done in a few hours, just to make
     sure the API works).

  b) a preview area

     This will be another component - depending on the file type.

  If you plug a) and b) together to a GNOME::Selector you'll

  - an image selector with a file list (actually, GnomeImageEntry will allow
    you to load a component in the selector widget)

  - theme selector

  - netscape bookmarks browser

  - etc.

-- 
Martin Baulig
martin gnome org (private)
baulig suse de (work)