[Plasma Media Center] Browsing backends stuff

[Alessandro Diaferia]

Hello ml,
I'm sorry for having missed the meeting but I'm really busy with exams 
till 22nd :/

Aanyway, I'm trying to find some time for PMC and I'm currently working 
on a huge API review.
Currently I'm reviewing the browsing backends stuff and I think I need 
some advice.
Before the request, though, I'll provide some background for those who 
are not fully up-to-date about PMC.

The idea behind Browsing Backends is to allow different kind of media 
sources to be used in the browser applet of the media center. This way, 
with a unique applet the user will have the chance to browse through 
both local and remote resources. Each backend is some sort of wrapper 
around QAbstractItemModel providing some additional facilities in order 
to let the application know more about the browsing capabilities of the 
backend itself.

And now to the point.
One of such facilities is the availableSearchModes() function. Currently 
we have 2 search modes: FilterSearchMode and NewContentSearchMode. The 
first one simply tells the application that the backend can only filter 
the contents it is presenting to the user through a string pattern. The 
second one, instead, tells the application that the user can perform 
searches for new content. Now the thing is: how to actually perform 
searches? As some of you may be aware of, the current GSoC project on 
PMC aims at developing one main DataEngine that is able (through 
internal backends) to fetch data from web services such as Picasa, 
Flickr, YouTube, Vimeo and so on. Likely the dataengine will be both 
capable of doing generic searches polling each of its backends and also 
specific searches through one of its available backends.
Now, should the user be aware of the available backends to perform 
searches? And also, should we probably deliver some kioslave along with 
the DataEngine?

The initial idea was to have some sort of home page for PMC showing the 
available browsing backends: Local Pictures, Local Music, Local Videos 
and also, Remote Pictures and Remote Videos. The Remote Videos backend, 
for example, will set the NewContentSearchMode flag and therefore will 
be available to perform online searches. So the user will simply be able 
to type his search string and the results will be shown in the browsing 
applet. However, the current approach doesn't allow the user to select a 
specific dataengine backend to perform searches and so every available 
source will be polled for the results.

Do you have some advice for me regarding such aspects?

I hope the explanation was clear enough.

Cheers Plasma friends.

P.S. It was awesome having the chance to meet you all, my heroes, at 
aKademy :)

-- 
Alessandro Diaferia
KDE Developer
KDE e.V. member