desktop entry files, TryExec

[Aaron Seigo]

Hi all...

According to the Desktop Entry Standard[1] TypeExec[2] is defined as a 
"string". I would like to propose to change this in a future release to be a 
"string(s)" entry; in particular, an optional semicolon separated list of 
paths which should be checked for. on failing to find any of the items in the 
list, the entry may not show in menus, etc.

The rational for this change is that the entity represented by the desktop 
entry file in question may rely on more than one executable to be present. I 
was sent one such file today by email in which a shell script that relies on 
a handful of such tools (not all of which are even from the same software 
package) is called from a desktop entry file.

To keep compatibility with the current standard, I would like to see this 
included as a "future use"[3] hint along the lines of:

   Implementations should support multiple entries, but standard
   compliant .desktop files should only list a single entry

This will allow implementations to catch up and for this entry to be changed 
officially to "string(s)" in a future revision of the standard.

I hope that was clear (as mud? ;).

p.s. please CC me on replies as I'm not currently subscribed to this list. 
thanks =)


[1] 
http://freedesktop.org/Standards/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-0.9.4.html

[2] TryExec:  Filename of a binary on disk used to determine if the program is 
actually installed. If not, entry may not show in menus, etc. 

[3] thanks to Waldo Bastian for his suggestions in this regard =)

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
Society is Geometric