Re: URL display code

[Tom Tromey <tromey cygnus com>]

James> a while back, I posted to this list about some code I wrote for
James> displaying URLs in a user configurable way.  I have just
James> committed the code to gnome-libs if anyone wants to try it out.

James> Just to refresh your memory, your program need only call
James>   gnome_url_show("protocol:whatever");
James> The code then looks at the user's preferences to choose an
James> application for displaying URL's of that protocol, falling back
James> on a default client.

James> If you have any questions/comments about this code, mail me.


This is a special case of a more general problem.  We're slowly
implementing each special case with its own API (e.g., help, now
this... what next?).  I think it would be better to directly attack
the general problem.

The wider problem is that of locating an editor (or viewer) for a
resource.  As I've said many times before, I believe the appropriate
approach here is to use CORBA (either name service, trading service,
or some special Gnome thing) to find the editor object.

(BTW one significant drawback of the current piecemeal approach is
that generic applications such as MC must first characterize the
editing request before deciding which API to use.)


I've been away for a while and am slowly making my way through my
saved-up Gnome email.  Where are we with the gnorba "IMR" (or whatever
we're calling it -- the object activator) code?  Are we ready to start
using CORBA in a more serious way?

Tom