From kde-pim  Sat May 19 11:55:04 2001
From: Marko Gronroos <magi () utu ! fi>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 11:55:04 +0000
To: kde-pim
Subject: Re: sync with mobile devices
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-pim&m=99027603606170

On Sat, 19 May 2001, Christoph Held wrote:
> What I think about is a colloborate project between ostdev and kde for a
> plugin based, non-gui architecture to sync all kinds of mobile devices
> with the related desktop.

I would think that a KDE-independent abstraction layer would be good for
kdepim too, as it would clarify the currently fuzzy distinction between GUI
and syncing, and remove many redundancies.
  However, you would lose the possibility to use the DCOP and KIOSlave
infrastructures, and probably also Qt. Thus, the generalization would require
quite a big jump from current implementations.

I'm very new to kde-pim, so I'm not familiar with the current design or any
plans. Are there any overall design outline documents?

For example, how is syncing between workstations done currently? This feature
would be useful for MediaTerminal as well, as then it could sync PIM data also
with people's PCs.
  Many programs seem to have functions to import and export data files in
various formats, but is there any infrastructure to transmit those data files
automatically between systems?
  LDIF seems to be implemented, but is there any LDAP support? I know very
little about this subject, but I have an impression that LDAP would be
currently one very important standard for implementing synchronization of PIM
data. Am I right?

Is there any standard abstraction that defines interfaces and protocols for
syncing arbitrary structured data? Especially for cases where different
parties need specialized interfaces, gateways, routers, conversions, etc?
  I'm thinking about an abstract routing system for synchronization, and not
just for PDAs or one type of data.

> At least, Nokia will provide the plug ins for their mobile phones - to
> sync with the media terminal, which in return would be beneficial to us.

They will? What sync infrastructure are they using? Or did you mean "would"?

I recently applied for job at a MediaTerminal development group at a Nokia dev
center in my home city. Unfortunately they didn't take me, probably because
Nokia has recently become extremely careful about hiring new people. Oh well,
it might have been an interesting job.

-- Marko Grönroos, magi<at>iki.fi (http://www.iki.fi/magi/)
-- Paradoxes are the source of wisdom and the end of truth