FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: Refactoring Tracker and Add Ons

["Axel Dörfler" <axeld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mat Hounsell <mat_geek@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> My first issue is that I think tracker add-on libraries and basic 
> tracker add-ons would be better served as part of the OpenTracker 
> project. The problem with that is then OpenBeOS may not build 
> without those libraries.

I think we can live with the current solution very well. The OpenBeOS 
replacements are meant to be replacements anyway, so the original Be 
add-ons on your disk should be able to fulfill their purpose a little 
longer.
Of course, I could add them in the sample-code section, just like the 
original version of BeMail.

> Then there was the discussion on Glass Elevator about the 
> internals of tarcker and the new 'Add-On' architecture. (I 
> suspect Axel is a code name for a secret society of beos 
> programmers.)

Never forget that one of those could live nearby :)

> I thought I might have a look at the code of tracker and see if it 
> was 
> possible to build the GetInfo dialog as an add-on. But one of it's 
> internal pieces (I think AttributeStream) depends on PoseView which 
> I know means it depends on the rest of tracker.

AttributeStream does not depends on BPoseView; it's just used by it. 
While InfoWindow should one of the classes that are independent from 
BPoseView, I think it makes little sense to build it as a separate add-
on. For one, it heavily uses private Tracker classes, but it's also an 
integral part of Tracker right now - with the current architecture, a 
second one would be very confusing.

> What is a DialogPane? What is a ContainerView?

A DialogPane is what you see in the bottom of the FindPanel (the more 
options stuff). The BContainerWindow (there is no ContainerView) is a 
window that can contain a BPoseView.

> How do you (can you) overcome a dependancy on PoseView?

Right now, I wouldn't try :)
BPoseView and BContainerView need to be completely redesigned, and they 
will be in the next next (next?) release.

Bye,
   Axel.