[openbeos] Re: URL handlers, browser plugins (was Re: Data or App Centric?)

> "François Revol" <revol@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>  ...
> > I've been thinking about extending the url-handling protocol...
> > (apps tell they handle files of type application/x-vnd.Be-URL-foo)
> > telling if they can be replicated.
> > That way a browser could handle plugins in a simpler way,
> > apps could embed VNC or RDP session by searching for a
> > replicant that handles vnc:me@foo:0 ...
> 
> Could you expand on how you want it to work?
> 
> I'm personally pretty happy with the current intended use 
> of the URL mimetypes, which I've interpreted like this:
> 
> A stand-alone application, (or intermediate helper app), set as the 
> Preferred Application of the URL mimetype*, or listing the URL mimetype 
> as one of its Supported Types, meaning that the application is able to 
> receive and act upon a URL given to it by way of argv[1].
> 
> I assume it's not your intention to overload this design?
>  
> I haven't given it much thought, but I would assume that some 
> complementary information, like an attribute, or a resource flag, would 
> be necessary to distinguish 
> "argv URL handlers" from "URL viewer plugins", if you do intend to 
> overload the meaning.

I was more for something like a flag telling it can also replicate...
or maybe the name of the class to instanciate.
Do'nt have much time to dig BMimeTypes atm though

> For the record, I don't think the current URL mimetypes have shown 
> their true potential.** I would very much like for Themis or Mozilla to 
> offer URL context menu
> options to open a certain URL in any of the available URL handlers, 
> pretty much like the Open with > submenu works in Tracker. E.g:  
> ftp://foobar.org 
> Open URL with ->       NetPenguin, NetPositive, Mozilla, ...

I don't think either...
I added generic url handling to open, but I miss that in things like BeShare 
and Vision (hint)... Vision could be kind to get beshare: links and BeShare 
would be nice also to handle irc:server/#chan :)

> URL Handlers:  http://www.bebits.com/app/2972
> Springboard:  http://www.bebits.com/app/1814
> BeShareOpener:  http://www.bebits.com/app/2973
Didn't check those yet...
I myself wrote a telnet handler that opened telnet in a terminal and passed it 
the hostname... can be adapted to ssh as well.

> But I guess there's been no real tractor app, and Net+ completely 
> needlessly sets the Pref. App ("Opens with") attribute of every 
> bookmark it creates, making it impossible to "route" URLs to other 
> handlers when opening bookmarks from Tracker, since setting an URL 
> router such as Springboard as the Preferred App of the Bookmark 
> filetype is completely ineffective without removing all these 
> attributes from your bookmark files.

Righto. Though it's really nice to have a net+ bookmark as ptr to related docs 
in some source folder... I have to open Net+, copypaste teh url from Opera , 
ALT-B, Show Bookmarks, move, remove the pref app so it opens in Opera... :^)
Now, We really need a backend for moz to use Net+ bookmarks instead of its own 
format!
(sidebar anyone ?)

François.

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