100% Plugin based Front End

custardbomb · 10-03-2005, 04:46 PM

Correct me if I am wrong, but from all the front ends I have tried, they all have one thing in common, they all have buttons for apps that I wouldnt use, and I am sure thats an issue for others as well.

I was thinking, is it not possible to develop a front end that reacts to the plugins you have installed, ie DVD, GPS, MP3, TV, FM for example would all plugins, but the front end will dynamically display buttons for those plugins which you have the need for, making the front end more appropriate for what the end user needs.

Leading on from this, could third party plugins could be made to work on top of a standard set, ie those above?

What are your opinions?

MGD · 10-03-2005, 05:36 PM

Most all the front ends are skinable. You can make your own skin and put only buttons on that you have need for. My skin does not have Internet, Application, CD-Rip, XM satellite or sirius. I have only MP3, RADIO, DVD, WEATHER and PHONE. Skiining is not that dificult to do.

frodobaggins · 10-03-2005, 07:25 PM

I'm working on it as we speak.

thanatos106 · 10-03-2005, 07:37 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by frodobaggins

I'm working on it as we speak.

lol

Thanatos.

RoyN · 10-04-2005, 12:14 AM

Frodo will you have some sort of "dynamic screen creation" if not I dont think the original poster will be satisifed....

...

anyways, I dont think he is referring to not having unneeded application overhead, and loading only the modules that you would like..... I think he refers solely to UI...

nonetheless I cant wait for your stuff to come out!

frodobaggins · 10-04-2005, 12:20 AM

Everything is dynamic.

RPM_VR4 · 10-04-2005, 12:26 AM

Centrafuse allows you to remove un-needed functions just by editing buttonactions.xml in a text editor. David has also said CF 1.5 will allow you to configure buttons graphically from within the UI (in addition to supporting 3rd party plug-ins).

RoyN · 10-04-2005, 12:52 AM

this is possible in road runner with some of the more basic skins, which like centrafuse's skin dont use graphics together with the text...

then you can switch text around and such.... the skins which use graphics however usually dont use labels since it is unlikley that youd change the text next to the DVD logo to read something like Weather right

meddler · 10-04-2005, 01:19 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by frodobaggins

I'm working on it as we speak.

the plot thickens

custardbomb · 10-05-2005, 04:49 PM

Great news.

I was talking about the UI reacting to what plugins where installed. Kinda like Litestep in a way.

Frodo, is there any expected dates for betas? Thanks

0l33l · 10-05-2005, 05:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by frodobaggins

I'm working on it as we speak.

ETA: Year 2010.

Goofus · 10-05-2005, 06:04 PM

Holy crap. For a minute there I thought I was actually smart and contributing to something here. What a relief.

polus · 10-06-2005, 12:34 PM

Quote:

100% Plugin based Front End

I’m writing a framework at the moment. Everything that sits in the framework is plug-in based and the framework will skin each plug-in independently.

ETA: Around December to have the main framework and the sys-info/audio/video plugins working. When these are functioning correct and I shall release it and hope that people fancy’s writing plug-in’s!

The apps rather imaginatively named MC^2 (Modular Car Media Control)

I will most probably add the following plugins:
Satnav,
ODB,
IO Control.

Oh and somebody commented on efficiency. Well its not written in VB so that should help

If anyone wants more info on it pm, post, email...whatever.

Oh, its free (of course) and I will provide plugin example code.

custardbomb · 10-06-2005, 03:23 PM

In theory then; each plugin would effectively act as separate app thats loaded when the button is pressed in the gui's main windo, so system resources would be dependant on how hungry the plugin at the time is being run?? Also, I guess load time would be minimal, as the main app would only need to read what plugins are in a folder and then display relevant buttons for them?

As this is plugin based, would there be a generic button image with text overlayed be used, or is there another method?

zzachattack2 · 10-06-2005, 03:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by custardbomb

In theory then; each plugin would effectively act as separate app thats loaded when the button is pressed in the gui's main windo, so system resources would be dependant on how hungry the plugin at the time is being run?? Also, I guess load time would be minimal, as the main app would only need to read what plugins are in a folder and then display relevant buttons for them?

As this is plugin based, would there be a generic button image with text overlayed be used, or is there another method?

Kinda. Depending on the framework, the plugin may be loaded at application startup, only when its first called, or even every time it is called. The last one not being recommended, because most process need to perform background execution or retain its current state. That one would also hinder performance, having to create the plugin objects everytime it is called.

Plugins are not seperate apps though (app be defined as a seperate system process). They are just objects(if object oriented) that are not hard coded into the main application, but reside in a seperate assembly which is then called and loaded from the main application (which doesn't know anything about the plugin, only that it usually inherits a common class or interface).

As far as the button issue, I have seen this handled in several ways. One being how you just described, others being interacting with plugin to get an icon and text and generating a button that way, and another being pre-defined images built into a skin, which defines a set of required plugins. My framework uses a combination of the last two.