[Desktop_architects] Re: Desktop Services

Michael Sweet mike at easysw.com
Sat Dec 31 12:51:17 PST 2005


Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> ...
> note that such a customization effort would almost certainly move ahead 
> quickest if driven by ISVs with custom data formats as we in the open source 
> desktop world don't have a lot of motivation here. in other words, this wold 
> be a great open source project for ISVs to found and implement IMHO. trying 
> to rely on the open source desktop projects to cater to every ISV software 
> need without some sort of support from them is a little unrealistic, i fear.

Right, but at the same time I think standardizing things so that the
individual file format suppliers/supporters can provide their own
"plug-ins" (or whatever form the interface takes) that are used by
the desktop folks.

I.e., provide an API so that any developer (commercial or otherwise)
can easily add the preview/thumbnail support for their particular
file format.

In the case of the FD.o thumbnail standard, it seems to cover the
necessary bits *except* for a common, desktop-neutral API to create,
query, and update the thumbnails as needed.  IMHO, providing a
standardized C API which implements the accepted FD.o "standards"
will go a long way towards better ISV/desktop support with less
code duplication.

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com
Internet Printing and Publishing Software        http://www.easysw.com



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