First of all, congrats to such a wonderful software!
I just created my first patch, it was easy to navigate the source.
A little idea while browsing the source and trying to modify the xbmc with a media storage indicator in the various skins.
I recently added a media storage flagging to the views (via includes). The problem is that every skinner has now to modify their skin to display the icons.
If we could use the "White-board pattern" here, we would have some common IDs. All skins should use a common ID display their VideoFlags for instance. Then any plugin could provide additional icons without the skinner doing anything except for providing the anchor points.
Given this piece of include skin xml:
my plugin could hook its media icons like this:
This would place my MediaFlags infront of the VideoFlags.
The same way a plugin could provide additional settings into other plugins/skins.
For instance the "Cinema Experience" support has to be added to each skin at the moment.
With the new system I propose, only the CE author would have to specify where he would like the CE icon/button to appear. A general ID could be created like "additions" that acts as a placeholder for addition buttons etc.
It removes some freedom of skinners as to where to place certain controls/icons. They would provide anchor points and containers for such extensions. The CE author would then provide a setting for the current skin if the additional "Cinema" button should be displayed or not.
The idea is used in the Eclipse IDE with great success: http://wiki.eclipse.org/Menu_Contributions#menu:
This could be coupled with visibility conditions as well. The difference is: Right now the skin author has to check for certain installed addons using "XMBC.hasaddon(id)" and with this new system he would no longer do that. The addon decides where it wants to integrate with the skin.
What you guys think?
I just created my first patch, it was easy to navigate the source.
A little idea while browsing the source and trying to modify the xbmc with a media storage indicator in the various skins.
I recently added a media storage flagging to the views (via includes). The problem is that every skinner has now to modify their skin to display the icons.
If we could use the "White-board pattern" here, we would have some common IDs. All skins should use a common ID display their VideoFlags for instance. Then any plugin could provide additional icons without the skinner doing anything except for providing the anchor points.
Given this piece of include skin xml:
Code:
<control id="VideoFlags" ...>my plugin could hook its media icons like this:
Code:
<control id="MediaFlags" location="control:VideoFlags?before" ...>The same way a plugin could provide additional settings into other plugins/skins.
For instance the "Cinema Experience" support has to be added to each skin at the moment.
With the new system I propose, only the CE author would have to specify where he would like the CE icon/button to appear. A general ID could be created like "additions" that acts as a placeholder for addition buttons etc.
It removes some freedom of skinners as to where to place certain controls/icons. They would provide anchor points and containers for such extensions. The CE author would then provide a setting for the current skin if the additional "Cinema" button should be displayed or not.
The idea is used in the Eclipse IDE with great success: http://wiki.eclipse.org/Menu_Contributions#menu:
This could be coupled with visibility conditions as well. The difference is: Right now the skin author has to check for certain installed addons using "XMBC.hasaddon(id)" and with this new system he would no longer do that. The addon decides where it wants to integrate with the skin.
What you guys think?
