[Owncloud] Re: plugins vs. apps

[Robin Appelman]

On Friday 22 April 2011 16:00:18 kunal ghosh wrote:
> > In short apps add a new aspect to owncloud and plugins add small new
> > features
> > to existing aspects.
> > 
> > What does this mean? An address book would be a new app. The ownCloud
> > core only handles files and an address book would be a new aspect. Same
> > with a gallery. In the core of ownCloud you can easily upload your
> > photos, but we do
> > not have the ambition to create pretty albums you can share with your
> > family
> > and friends. An "gallery" app however could do this, using the existing
> > files.
> > A plugin could add a function to the addressbook, like asking the contact
> > to
> > fill out its vcard. A plugin for the gallery could add aditional
> > transitions or
> > a possibility to add background music to the slideshow or whatever.
> > 
> > Both apps and plugins integrate nicely into ownCloud, using the existing
> > possibilities and the typical ownCloud layout.
> > 
> > I hope you get the point.
> > Cheers,
> 
> Hi Jacob, Nice explanation :)  i understand the difference now.
> But just to reiterate, if an author is writing a plugin which adds in a lot
> of features that ownCloud base
> doesn't provide (or inherently doesn't provide) then the plugin should be
> designed to be an app.
> 
> Is that correct ?
That depends on the features it adds, for features like sharing and versioning 
it makes more sense to make them plugin, basically plugin extend functionality 
(like adding versioning to files) while apps add new functionality (media 
player or photo galery).

 - Robin Appelman