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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Scripting in KDE
From:       Jono Bacon <f9808590 () wlv ! ac ! uk>
Date:       2001-01-07 5:15:07
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Hello all,

Recently I have been thinking about scripting in KDE, and although I will admit
now ignorance to the current situation of scripting in KDE, I feel it could be
useful to discuss the issue. I did see a thread on the koffice list about this
also. http://lists.kde.org/?t=97844193400003&w=2&r=1

From my personal experience of using computers and a variety of OS's and
Windowing systems, it seems that scripting can be an invaluable extention to an
application, and provide features such as automatic grouping and processing of
application functions, cusom menu entired with these automatc functions,
customised functionality for the user/organisation etc. It takes the
application from the shipped default version (with its user preferences set)
and makes it super customised.

One of the many benifits of KDE is in providing the developer with a standard
set of API facilities, and I feel that a standard scripting interface could be
interesting. I believe a standard scripting interface would take two forms:

 - Script composer

    This could be a window in which the user can enter the script code, and the
user could also select a scripting language to use (python, perl or whatever).

 - Script parser

    This would probobly be a seperate program such as a compiler or
interpreter, but maybe extending with the relevent KDE/Qt bindings, and maybe
even a meta compiler such as moc but customised for standard KDE scripting
commands that are developers.

It would also be hand to extend the parser and give the developer the ability
to add app specific scripting commands. Eg - kppp could have commands for
starting a connection, disconnecting, and kmail could have scripting commands
for sending mail, recieving mail, starting the composer etc.

It would be handy from a developers point of view to have a clas sin the
kdelibs in which a scripting object could be created and the script editor
could be accessed via a KStdAction.

As for a scripting language it would be a good idea to keep the options open,
so for example a user could write a scrpt in php, perl, basic or whatever, but
to also use the standard scripting commands and app scripting commands
that could be parsed by the meta compiler.

I would be able to contribute *some* time to this, but not a lot as I have
other projects to work on and *loads* of Uni work. I have some time off soon
though so I may able to get started then.

Comments/Ideas?

	Jono
 
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