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List:       kde-pim
Subject:    Re: [Kde-pim] Client contact manager
From:       Adriaan de Groot <groot () kde ! org>
Date:       2005-03-16 12:27:24
Message-ID: 200503161327.33592.groot () kde ! org
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On Wednesday 16 March 2005 13:01, Justin Solms wrote:
> REQUIREMENT:
> I need to figure out how to write additional client contact manager
> capabilities for kde-pim and where to branch the development to.

It depends on who / what is doing the development. You are of course free to 
grab a copy of KDE CVS and work in that. If you never release the work and 
use it only in-house, you don't even need to release patches / source for the 
derived work. We'd probably appreciate the patches though. If you find 
someone with KDE CVS access, she can branch in KDE CVS and work there -- 
there are precedents for this kind of experiment, one of which is the 
lambda_reduce_1 branch which is playing around with the user interface for 
KOrganizer.

For contacts, a lot can be done with additional Qt designer based pages.

> DOCUMENTATION:
> I shall write an operational concept description if I have time and mail it
> to the group as a PDF. Once that is accepted I can put together a Software
> requirement specification and get that ironed out with kde-pim. i don't
> know if that is how things are done!

Um, no. We tend not to _do_ specs, or requirements, or anything really. There 
are the general good intentions documented in the feature plan, but that's 
about it.

> CONSTRAINTS:
> applet. I need to know * What programming tools (besides gcc and the
> debugger) should I use. I am thinking of Kdevelop's IDE and QT Designer or
> Kdevelop's designer? 

Those are it, basically. You might want to use whatever editor is comfortable 
to you, though. A lot of PIM developers have mad cow disease and are emacs 
users to boot.

> * Incidently how does one get the current GUI of 
> Kaddressbook into some kind of designer so I can make sane modifications?

You don't, since most of it is hard-coded.

> * Does the idea of Add-ons mean anything (as I see it in the menus) and
> should I go that route? Is it flexible enough?

That's one for the KAddressbook maintainer, who is Tobias König.

> * I need to figure out how to integrate all the new capabilities into the
> Kontact framework so that addressbook follow-up dates appear in the
> korganizer

That shouldn't be too hard, you can do DCOP calls to korganizer at least to 
manipulate appointments.

> * What specs do you people have as to adding of capabilities in kontact.

If it compiles, ship it.

> FINALLY:
> I have read as much as I can get my hands on about kde-pim. However need to
> find out what I need to know in a hurry as I don't have all that much time
> for this. I should read up, then plan two weeks leave in to grapple with
> everything and get some stuff working and then plan another two week
> session to finish up. I am not good at multitasking so I really need good
> info :) 

The website pim.kde.org is our best shot at providing information; follow the 
Architecture and API Dox links, those are probably your best bet (and you 
will no doubt find them infuriatingly limited). There is an IRC channel, 
#kontact on irc.kde.org, where you can discuss development issues, if you can 
find anyone awake there -- the channel's activity is rather irregular. Most 
of the developers are in timezone GMT+2, so after dinner PST will find most 
of them asleep.

> The last thing i want to create is useless modifications. Also I 
> would like input as to further requiremts with some user stories so I can
> get an idea as to how I can make the stuff as generic to the user and as
> re-usable to kde-pim as possible.

-- 
These are your friends - Adem
    GPG: FEA2 A3FE Adriaan de Groot

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