[gst-devel] Componentization

[Erik Walthinsen]

I've read through the thread on componentization, and I have a couple
comments:

First, the long term plan from my end is to create a better libgstplay.so.
This already exists, and is used as the basis for the (very small)
gstmediaplay program.  libgstplay.so is about 750 lines, and the player is
another 750, not including a custom widget that seems to be of debatable
necessity.

Arik Devens is the maintainer of the player, and has put out a call for
discussion on writing a new libgstplay.  The idea is that it would handle
all pipeline-related issues of the most common features of a player,
including deal with autoplugging (handling arbitrary media types), seek
control, ancillary information (id3, etc.) gathering, and so on.

What I see is that libgstplay (and other similar libs for things like
media conversion, i.e. CD to Vorbis, or the infamous DVD to DiVX) would be
the units that are shimmed into either Bonobo or XPCOM.  The key then is
to make sure that the libgstplay.so interface is capable of what the
mozstreamer and nautilus and other plugins require.  Among other things,
this means explicit control over sources and sinks.

I'd like to see the interface requirements for libgstplay.so hammered out
pretty soon, so progress can continue on the player.  Probably should be
discussed in the gstreamer-devel list, copied to the mozstreamer list.
The existing mozstreamer code would probably provide a very good basis for
rebuilding libgstplay, as well.

TTYL,
    Omega

      Erik Walthinsen <omega at temple-baptist.com> - System Administrator
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