[AppStream] Introduction of "launchable" tag for metainfo files

[Matthias Klumpp]

2017-03-17 16:44 GMT+01:00 Richard Hughes <hughsient at gmail.com>:
> On 15 March 2017 at 12:21, Matthias Klumpp <matthias at tenstral.net> wrote:
>> I therefore want to add a generic "launchable" tag to the
>> metainfo/collection spec. It would look like this:
>> <launchable type="desktop-id">org.example.foobar.desktop</launchable>
>
> Like, although I'm not convinced about the 'launchable' name (although
> can't immediately come up with an alternative).

I am not super-happy with it either, but I couldn't come up with any
real alternative (except "launch", which is meh)

>> <launchable type="dbus">org.example.foobar.Run</launchable>
>
> Not like. What parameters are we supposed to call that method with?
> I'm sure the desktop would want to pass at least the timestamp to do
> focus-stealing prevention.

Since a standardized interface already exists[1], I think we would
even only need to set the interface name here...

[1]: https://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s07.html

>> <launchable type="command">/usr/bin/foobar %H</launchable>
>
> What does %H mean in the context of a software center?

I guess it should just ignore it. As per[2], %H doesn't even exist,
for some reason in my mind this was for "multiple files" :P

[2[: https://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-latest.html#exec-variables

>> So, there is also a more complicated layout proposal for this, which
>> we could use instead of the above, and which would - given enough
>> metadata - ultimately allow us to even generate .desktop files from
>> metainfo files:
>
> I don't like this and moves the metainfo file away from "something for
> the software center" to "jack of all trades metadata".

You pretty much did that already by adding tons of stuff and even a
dependency logic to your firmware-specific metainfo files ;-)
What I am thinking here is "why have the developer write multiple
metadata files while you can generate one from the other at
compile-time"?

Cheers,
    Matthias

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