Hello, announce the move to kdereview of an applet

[Wang Hoi]

2009/3/22 Albert Astals Cid <aacid at kde.kde>
> Is there any possibility that backends can be automatically configured? Asking
> the user to run
>  ibus-daemon --panel=/<your dir>/panel.py
> is not exactly user friendly

Yeah, i've mail this problem to the author of ibus, it says ibus 1.1.0
is under development and have some more import things to do.
(They havn't finished their qt4 immodule yet.)
So not provide option to specify the default panel like scim now.
I think this status will change after ibus 1.1.0 finally released.

2009/3/23 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org>
>
> On Sunday 22 March 2009, Wang Hoi wrote:
> > Moved to kdereview/plasma/applets/
>
> forwarding this to where it belongs: plasma-devel@ ...
>
> if we take this same method to every plasmoid out there, we'd have an
> unthemable mess that artists would no longer have access to. i don't really
> understand the need for this at all, but as i personally don't really use
> input method stuff i'm really not going to struggle with you more on the
> topic. we had a long discussion on it on irc, bu i'm more concerned with
> having an input method applet in updstream kde finally (something kde1, kde2
> nor kde3 managed).
>
> was this theming system a functional requirement for the widget by someone?
> (e.g. a linux distro, or whatever?) was the idea simply to copy what other
> input method applets on other platforms do?

What does "functional requirement" mean, user can use default theme
happily if he doesn't like the glitter theme.

The idea to theme the panel is copy from input methods under windows,
there's one Chinese input method, sougou pinyin,

It extends the input method more than just to input text, it's a
product of a website, with that input method,
it can be used to search your typing text on website, and integrated
into desktop search (like krunner) ,
and other semantic integration, analyze your typing text,
recommand advitisement, movies according to your taste...
and live update the web's newest fashion words, motos to you.
Very impressive. And it has 17000+ skins on web.

> in any case, for everyone else on this list: this is NOT a precedent setter! i
> will NOT accept other widgets with such theming approaches as it is wrong,
> broken and ultimately a disservice to our users.

I don't like script also, but i can't find a way to theme my app use svg only,
i don't know much about svg's abilities and power,  someone can help me,
My theme is somewhat like this：
http://lh3.ggpht.com/__wNRAxUWzAo/SccPGkNhUBI/AAAAAAAAAFg/-3pQRMc0XtY/theme.png
I pickup javascript because i think it's better than another way: read
relative position info, etc .. from  configure file.
Anyway, it can be compatible with current plasma theme policy,
so i think just let it be there until find a  better way with svg theme,
Better than remove it and user can only use the default theme,
I'm developing an applet used by normal user, not a library used by developer.
I think first satisfy the normal user, then the developer/artist with
elegant design.

>
> reimplementing KIMPanelApplet::showConfigurationInterface() and using KCModule
> is incorrect. it makes it unlike every other widget on the desktop (e.g. the
> config dialog looks completely different) and removes the ability for plasma
> to add things like keyboard shortcut configuration.
>
> instead, implement createConfigurationInterface and add pages to the passed in
> KConfigDialog like all other widgets.

You are right, need help here,  i don't know how to reuse the config
page in kcmodule in kconfigdialog,
I'm new to kconfig, kcfg etc.. stuff.
>From my point of view , i think KCMultiDialog and KConfigDialog has
similar look'n'feel and functionalities.
And kcmultidialog can be created by merge serveral kcmodule so that
when i provide config page for backend,
it can be easily merged into.
If KConfigDialog provide something like addModule, or somebody teach
me how to load a kcmodule and get the qwidget to be addPage to
KConfigDialog, that will be great.
I'd like to use KConfigDialog in applet's conifgure, but still provide
serveral kcontrol modules for systemsettings,

>
> also, are the icon size and layout strategy settings really needed? can the
> widget provide sensible defaults for this without user configuration?
>
Default settings are provided, it can work properly without touch
these settings.
These settings are for users who want to tune the applet, eg. if he
wants to display things vertically to save screen space.

>
> you may find that the applet doesn't behave properly in all cases with a plain
> QGraphicsView and QGraphicsScene as set up in KIMStatusBar. also, how does
> this work when used with KIMPanelApplet?

Don't quite understand, can you give me an example how it may behave improperly.
I use the same QGraphicsWidget both in floating and embbed state.
When it switch from embbed to floating state, a QWidget is created,
which contains a QGraphicsView, view the same QGraphicsWidget (model),
The code is quite similar to Plasma::Dialog,
I think i just use the benefit of model/view design of Qt's graphics framework.
And i've to propagate the resize request.of course.
>
> the backends run as standalone applications? can or does kimpanel start them
> automatically as needed?

Yeah, but whether It's a standalone application depends on the backend .
But scim and ibus currently all put these ui stuff in another process,
i just replace their gtk version panel.
It's scim/ibus's job to autostart their panel when user input text,
currently they all auto start it,
User needn't to start the backend manually every time, just  modify
the backend's configuration file, then ok.
>
> that's ok, because this probably needs to be re-worked anyways.

I'll try my best.
>
> hm... how well does it work on vertical panels?

The theme is all for floating status bar and floating candidate
window, when embbed into the panel, it use system theme,
and  try to have the same appearance with notification area.

see the pic (vertical bar):
http://lh3.ggpht.com/__wNRAxUWzAo/SbJBWdtDRaI/AAAAAAAAAB4/5Nl1oWU4FsM/01.png

Somebody may complain that the icons take too much space of panel,
It's configurable under statusbar->prefer icon size,
if you choose to use small icon,
then multiple rows is used to reduce width in bottom panel,
while multiple columns are used to reduce height in vertical panel,
It detect the panel location and try to behave smartly now.


>
> --
> Aaron J. Seigo
> humru othro a kohnu se
> GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43
>
> KDE core developer sponsored by Qt Software
>
>