[Plasmoids] Can I write to file from a pure QML plasmoid?

[Sebastian Kügler]

On Monday, December 14, 2015 20:46:54 kdea wrote:
> Hi. One week ago I asked a question at forum.kde.org, but nobody responded,
> so I'm now trying here in the mail list, please redirect me to the
> appropiate list if this one is not the correct one. I'm copying the
> question... 
> Hi, I'm creating a QML plasmoid that will write data to a file in disk. I
> have searched a lot, and it seems that it is not possible with a pure QML
> plasmoid. Web pages say that the only way to do it is by adding C++. 

Correct.

> The problem with adding C++ is that, as I understand, the plasmoid will have
> to be compiled, so I will get some binary files that won't work in all
> Linux distributions. In other words, the plasmoid will be less portable: I
> will have to create a different file for each Linux distribution before

...and for each architecture as well.

> posting the plasmoid to kde-apps.org, or the user will have to download the
> source code and compile it for his/her distribution. It is a mess. 
> I think that file I/O should be possible from a pure QML plasmoid. It is a
> core functionality for a high percentage of plasmoids. If you make it
> difficult (by requiring the C++ mess), less programmers will create
> plasmoids, so less plasmoids will be created. 
> In fact, file I/O was possible in kde4 from a pure javascript plasmoid, by
> using the "Local IO" library:
> https://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma4/JavaScript/API-Local
> IO 
> I really would like to listen that file I/O is possible from a pure QML
> plasmoid in kde5. Or at least that developers are already working on a kde
> library to make it possible. 

I'm very reluctant to add generic file I/O to our QML API, as that is going to 
make it very hard to secure it later on. We haven't redone the file I/O 
portions for that reason.

Perhaps you could tell us about your exact use case, maybe we're able to 
suggest a better solution than to offer a generic file I/O API. (Often, there 
are already solutions for a given purpose.)

> (I didn't know if I should post it at "Brainstorm" forum or here, but I
> wanted to ask first) _______________________________________________

This list if fine for this question.

Cheers,
-- 
sebas

Sebastian Kügler    |    http://vizZzion.org    |     http://kde.org