kbstateapplet: Plasma integration directions

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On May 23, 2010, Sandro Giessl wrote:
> What's needed to fix those two outstanding points?

a rewritten plasmoid. there was a start of one made for the javascript jam 
competition, but it was a bit overengineered and the drawing/painting never 
actually got implementated (just coloured blocks). but it was at least a start 
and showed that it was quite possible to do.

since there is a competent data engine and all the graphics could be provided 
using SVG, there is no reason this couldn't be a small bit of javascript.

the biggest problems with previous runs at this are that, for whatever reason, 
people try to come up with complex code to solve a simple problem and then 
forget that it has to look good.

use the kbstate engine, use the services it provides, use an SVG for the 
items, use Plasma::SvgWidgets in a LinearLayout to display the results. it 
shouldn't be rocket science, and shouldn't be more than a 200 lines of 
javascript, quite possibly even under 100.

> - All kbstates information should (I think) be made available as plasma
> data engine. There's sticky keys status, locked keys, mouse status,
> AccessX status. Mouse status and most keyboard status data sources seem
> to be there already.
> Whould AccessX be a separate data engine, or should another data engine
> (Keyboard?) be extended?

personally i'd add it to the keystate engine to keep it simple. it's related 
to the keystate information and most likely to be used in concert with it.

> Is there any gain in making the kbstate applet UI theme'able?

the desktop theme should be enough, which means that if the UI uses an SVG 
then theming comes for free.

> Can plasma applets be added automatically by the kaccess task, or is

technically? yes. the question is how we want that to work in practice. it 
probably means something in plasma-desktop.

> What's plasma's policy regarding when to use system tray icons vs. when
> to use applets?

use tray icons when there is no other option or the service must be cross-
desktop.

> Like KDE's systray icon for switching keyboard layouts, shouldn't the
> accessibility key status be shown automatically when activated (opposed
> to requiring to add a plasma applet to the panel manually)?

and where, exactly, would it get auomatically added?

-- 
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 Development Frameworks
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