[wyoDesktop-devel] Mimetypes concept

[Otto W. <ott...@or...>]

IMO mimetypes are the only way to access all the different applications
on a desktop in a user friendly manner. Mimetypes are the glue how
applications are connected to files, how applications are visible so a
user can work with them. But the current implementation and the current
standard at freedesktop.org is a complete mess. The following mimetype
concept tries to solve the situation.

Concept: A mimetype library with an easy usable API handles the current
implementation, _may_ handle the freedesktop standard and allows to
handle a future Berkeley DB implementation. This API has to conform to
the following points:

- allows for a simple future Berkeley DB implementation
- provides translations between current and future implementation
- allows to retrieve file types according to mimetype, extension,
creator and/or magic ids
- allows to easily create and change mimetypes by any application
- handles all information needed for connecting files with applications
- handles all inforamtion how applications are visible on the desktop
- handles all information how applications are visible in menus, docks, etc.
- handles default information if not provided by applications.

All the mimetype information have to be provided and installed by the
application, it's their responsibility to care that the information are
complete and correct any time they are needed. This may mean each
application has to check and correct this information each time it's
run. At least any user without _any_ computer knowledge and without any
rights has to be able to restore these information anytime.

A tool has to be created to take care for conflicts between different
applications and to add, change or remove informations. Any change of
this tool has a higher priority than changes by applications. There
might be a common source, a public repositiory, for such changes.

O. Wyss

-- 
See a huge pile of work at "http://wyodesktop.sourceforge.net/"