Some help for recreating the Plasma Tool Box in QML

[Mark]

Hi KDE plasma folks,

It's been a long while since i last actively contributed to the KDE project.
Sadly having a job is sucking up way more time then i would like.

In recent months I've started to experiment with QML and started to like it.
Provided if i only use it for declaring the GUI. Not the app logic, that
should stay in C++ imho. I tried some things with it and it certainly is
cool and powerful but now i want to do something useful with it. And given
that KDE is going towards QML anyways I though I could provide my help and
start with something.

The thing I'd like to do is recreate the plasma tool box thing (the one in
the lower right corner of your panel). My first goal is to make it exactly
the same as it is now only in QML. Once that is done and working the same as
the current Plasma Tool Box then i want to add something to it. I want to
add setting the background image in the plasma toolbox. It will look about
the same as the current part for "Add Widgets..." only with wallpapers. I
don't know if changing the desktop background from the plasma tool box is
the best way but to me it seems to be more logical then in Desktop -> right
mouse click -> Desktop Settings .. It's something i'd like to experiment
with :)

There are a few questions though. Since i'm directing my efforts in one
specific area i really don't want to spend hours/days to figure the new
build system out, figuring out which branches i need for what and where the
QML files for KDE are hidden (some of them are made in the recently ended
GSOC right?). So i would like to ask for some quick pointers to get me
started.

Note: i want to run the basic KDE SC environment with the default tools as
a separate user all from git. There used to be a magnificent tutorial for
that on the KDE wiki but that was the "old build style" even with SVN
things.

* What is the current way to get the basic KDE SC running from Git?
* What environment variables do i need to set to use KDE from Git (libdir,
bindir...)?
* Which branches do i need for QML + KDE?
* Where do i need to be for recreating the plasma tool box in QML?
kdebase-workspace?
* How do i get a QML file running without the window decorations (the
current plasma tool box doesn't have decorations so i guess i don't want
them in QML either)
* Target: KDE 4.8?

I prefer to use KDE from git since (as far as i understand it) the new KDE
QML components made during this GSoC are in either a special git branch or
in the branch that becomes KDE 4.8. And i'm kinda fearing odd problems if i
use git for that but KDE 4.7 for the rest. Please do correct me if i'm
wrong.

I think that covers about all my questions.

Last but not least. Above is just my idea of what i'd like to do. I've not
spend any time yet on making anything and don't know if anyone else is
already working on this. I also don't know if this is a change people want..
So some more information here would be nice.

Kind regards and thanx in favor for any responses,
Mark
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