[Kde-imaging] Discussing the future of kipi and kipi-plugins

Achim Bohnet ach at mpe.mpg.de
Wed Feb 1 22:14:40 CET 2006


On Wednesday 01 February 2006 08:19, Vardhman Jain wrote:
> On 01/02/06, Joern Ahrens <joern.ahrens at kdemail.net> wrote:
> >
> > On Tuesday 31 January 2006 09:26, Richard Groult wrote:
> > > Hi, (I'm the showimg developper),
> > > I've just read that kipi could disappeared and I think it's a bad idea.
> > > Even if there are no a lot of new plugins, kipi is a great project and
> > > I think users like it.
> >
> > Yes, I agree. Sharing plugins between several applications is a great
> > idea.
> > But we should share the work as well, because we all seem to have the same
> > problem: a lack of time and enough work with our main projects.
> >
> > > I've help to write a plugin, but I can help to maintain/improved others.
> > > What kind of new plugins could we add? We should discuss on new
> > features.
> >
> > It is neither a problem of new plugins nor the lack of documentation. But
> > there are a lot of reports in bko which have to be worked off.
> >
> > ... Jörn
> >
> As a Digikam and KDE user and also as a developer, I take freedom of sharing
> some of my opinions.
> 
> 1) Image Viewers like GwenView or showimg are not supposed to have great
> functionality that some KIPI plugins can provide. I never expect to export
> images to various places from an image viewer. As far as I see its only
> replication of functionality.

Well, kim is for konqueror what kipi-plugins are for gwenview/showimg.
Looks like we two have no need for them but lots of people enjoy this
functionality.

Kipi enabled apps and users can disable certain plugins when they feel
they are nonsense

> 2) Due to limilations of other apps UI, Kipi-plugins can't get a good UI.
> Though I mentioned this in earlier discussion, I would say again. The Image
> selection dialog in the kipi-plugins itself show the awkward-ness in using
> them. I would ideally like to have a advanced image selection window which
> digikam functionality like searching with tags etc might provide.
> Besides this kipi plugin always look to much detached from the main digikam
> application window. A proper intergration with Digikam will make them much
> more usable.

Old problem (discussed to death already ;)  there urgent need for someone
how cares frist about the plugins and then the apps.

> 3) Development wise, I felt handicapped at not being able to use detailed
> information a Digikam image would store. For e.g in my application I
> couldn't use tags stored with the image in Digikam. I was of course
> suggested to update the kipi-lib support to make it work, but again the code
> only becomes dirtier when one apps sends you some data and other doesn't and
> soon.

Just a side how this can also be and advantage:  Digikamplugins before they
were ported to kipi-plugins simply assumed that the pictures are in a directory.
Due to kimdabas needs this was generalized.  Now that digikam virtual folders
like search results and tag folders, digikam uses this feature too.  Without the
libkipi these changes would have to be coded now for digikam.


I would really like when you post your needs/suggetions in a new thread,
and other add their needs/suggestions too.  So we get at least one technical
thread :)  *hide*

Achim
> 
> 
> Just my opinion
> Vardhman
> --
> Blogs: http://vardhman.blogspot.com
> 

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