python desktop

[David Fraser]

seguso wrote:
> David Fraser wrote:
> 
> 
>>great to see this, was looking at the old version before...
> 
> 
> :-)
> 
> 
>>could you perhaps split the logicaldesktop.py into separate modules? it
>>makes it a bit difficult to find code to do improvements when its 3200
>>lines long...
> 
> 
> Why? I mean, actually it is easier in a single file if you use emacs,
> because you use IM-Python to browse the classes. And if you use eric3, you
> don't care about how many files, since you use the class browser to move.
> 
> Maybe I don't realize some advantage of splitting the code...
> 
> Anyway, I will need to partition the code in some way, because I want to
> make two versions eventually: a gnome-panel applet and a kicker applet.

One of the main reasons it that it makes easier for people to contribute 
changes... Also a lot of what is in the code is really configuration, 
not code, for example the list of programs, verbs etc.
And as you said, making different programs that use the code would be 
easier. For example, I use XFCE not KDE or Gnome.
Also there could be a bit more clarity on what is logical code 
(filtering the lists) and what is user interface code. That way somebody 
could quickly write a non-Qt version.
Not complaining here - I think its great, just trying to give helpful 
suggestions. An open source project is more than the code, and if you 
can make it easier for others to participate it will move forward more 
quickly.

>>Anyway what I was going to try and do:
>>- make filters work as you type, not just when you press Enter ala
>>Thunderbird's mail filters
> 
> 
> This was my first thought, but then I thought 1) it would be too slow 2) you
> type only once anyway. The preferred method is to use the recent filters
> list.
> 

If you have some clever method to do lazy filtering a short time after 
someone stops typing it will work nicely. This is how the thunderbird 
search boxes work. And I can't use the recent filters list for something 
I haven't typed yet :-) The advantage of my proposal is the quick 
feedback while you are typing...

> 
>>- Try and work out why it thinks my HP CD writer is a Plextor CDROM -
>>where do you pick up this information?
> 
> 
> I am a bit ashamed, but here it is:
> 
> THE DEVICES ARE COMPLETELY INVENTED. I need to scan the devices in the
> computer, but I am clueless how to do that.
>  

OK, well it got most of them right :-) If we put the detection code in a 
separate module maybe it can use some of the freedesktop.org stuff to 
handle devices

> 
>>Anyway I love some of the concepts and its looking nice...
> 
> 
> Are you implying that there is some concept you don't like?
> 

Well I have thought for a long time that something similar to this needs 
to happen and am very pleased to find someone doing it in Python :-) :-) :-)
What I am not sure about is the categorisation into verb, file, program, 
device ... for example device may not be relevant for a lot of actions. 
If this could be more dynamic it would be really nice. Also a way for 
users to define programs, devices etc...

> Thanks a lot for the feedback!
> 

Sure! One more thing - initially it comes up on my machine only 
displaying verbs. A means to switch which categories are available would 
be cool

David