Plugins
Wed, 11/25/2009 - 23:19
Hey folks,
what about a plugins section in the forum?
And by looking the plugin screencast I had the idea of some kind of official repository for the plugins that could be accessed via a webservice or something like that.
Now there is the link that opens the plugins list in a new window , but on this place there could also be the list of plugins already integrated in the plugin manager. Just an idea for the future ...
Cheers
Interesting ideas!
Do you want to comment on why you'd like a feed / web service of the available plugins? What would you do with it?
The idea was to have a user not downloading the plugin-file in an extra browser window, but to show the list of available plugins already in the plugin manager. One list with the available plugins and one list with the installed plugins.
That could be better integration and usability.
That's a fantastic idea. Akrohn, if you feel like writing a component like this, I'd be super-thrilled to help you integrate it into the core.
One way you can start: create a dummy XML file that lists a few plugins with their metadata. Then mod the plugin manager code to consume that XML file and show a list of available plugins. Then, once all that works, we'll write server code to actually spit out the list of available plugins.
What do you think?
That was only an idea for the distant future I had. I'm afraid I'm not that familiar with webservices and maybe some other developer is more experienced with that.
I have some other ideas on my mind for a while that I would love to do and I'm much more familiar with, like extending the SQLServer2005 db adapter to offer true pagination (now only TOP) and comments support (like the MySQL adapter), simple support of stored procedures (generated classes with the parameters of the stored procedure), integrating CSS YAML framework as a plugin, watching QCodo-GIT (which I do regulary) and integration into QCubed ... you see, that's a lot I want to do, but don't really find the time. Why days don't have 48 hours ;)
Hehe ok :) Whatever you have time to do, the community will be super-grateful. Thanks!!
What do you think about an extra plugin section in the forum? Could be better, now that the plugin count rises :)
I don't want to fragment the forum too much - I don't see to many questions on the plugins just yet (one per week, maximum) - when there are more, we can certainly create a separate forum.
Got a little lost by making the YAML plugin and reading part I of the plugin examples and hope someone can help.
There are different types of classes mentioned that I can use, but no say where it goes in the end. For the plugin developer it could be really useful when the examples says, where the files ends up.
- QPluginMiscIncludedFile -> where does it go?
- QPluginCssFile, QPluginJsFile, QPluginImageFile -> go they to /assets or /assets/_core ?
For my plugin the core framework part of YAML should go to /assets/_core/css and the other css files need to be in /assets/css because there are the css files the user can change and adapt. How can I do that?
And then I have to copy some images to /assets/images. Can I use QPluginImageFile for that?
Cheers
None of the assets that plugins install should go under any _core directory. The _core directory is for the *core* of QCubed only, no plugin files are allowed there - this is so that the user can easily upgrade their QCubed by replacing the _core directories under /assets and /includes.
Installed plugin files all go under /assets/plugins/PluginName.
Try installing a complex plugin like QTabPanel. You'll see how images/js files/css files are placed (they'll go under /assets/plugins/QTabPanel/...)
Thanx alex, now it's clear.
I think it would be helpful if the examples part I would say, where the files go to and that they all go under /assets/plugins/PluginName.
Made a new make_package.bat thats working (see ticket http://trac.qcu.be/projects/qcubed/ticket/392)