[Bitpim-devel] Projects

[Roger B. <ro...@ro...>]

Is anyone looking for non-phone specific coding or 
other projects?

There are several pieces of code I would like written
that have nothing to do with a particular phone.  Here
are some examples:

User interface

These all require working with wxPython.  You should
be familiar with wxPython and the wx libraries.  They
are fairly simple to learn.  Ideally you should have
at least two platforms out of Windows, Linux and Mac
available to ensure your code works correctly.

  - A better configuration dialog
  - Drag and drop in the filesystem view
  - Improving the calendar UI
  - Various random tuneups and improvements throughout
    such as hot keys, using colour, better fonts
  - Remembering stuff and setting it again on next run 
    (eg window sizes and positions)

Algorithms

These require just working in Python and figuring
out how to solve various problems.

  - Being able to work out the difference between two
    phonebook records and produce output as a list of
    adds, changes and removes.  As an example this would
    be used to compare what was on a phone (or other source)
    between two syncs.  (They deleted that user, added one,
    changed so and so's home number, added a home number for
    that person etc).  The SequenceMatcher in difflib
    http://www.python.org/doc/2.3.2/lib/module-difflib.html
    may actually do most of the work for you
  - Based on the output of the above, work out the rules to 
    apply the changes to the phonebook stored in the UI
  - Work out a way of doing undo's and redos, perhaps including 
    out of sequence redos
  - [Phone specific - VX4400/6000] Work out the correct way of 
    allocating index numbers to wallpaper and ringtone entries
    when writing out the index files (especially if the existing
    index referenced files that don't exist)

Interoperability

These are random pieces of coding work.

  - Writing a phone emulator that impersonates various models
    user interfaces, phonebooks etc.  This is useful for testing
    and for other people to see what other phones behave like.
  - Working out which COM interfaces are used to talk to outlook
    for contacts and calendaring information
  - Looking for online sync information.  This could be syncing
    with other services (eg Yahoo addressbook) or funky things
    like redirecting bitpim over the network (ie bitpim runs on
    machine, the phone is plugged into another and they are
    connected over the network).
  
Other

I would like to improve both the content and appearance of the
website and online help.  I think it can be made both better looking
as well as clearer, more concise and better worded.

Roger