[New] Desktop Preferred Applications Specification

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On Saturday 06 June 2009, PCMan wrote:
> Here is the full specification.
> http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Desktop_Preferred_Applications_Specification

using the mimetype database with entries crafted for default applications is 
something i suggested 2-3 years ago at a few cross-desktop events, including a 
FUDCon. i think it is the least-distance solution for the problem of default 
applications, and so support that part of the proposal.

i would suggest changing application/ to something like x-default-application/ 
as that makes it blatantly obvious what it is rather than pollute the 
application/ group. perhaps this violates some mimetype db rule though?


however, i don't think that URI schemes should be brought into this, nor is 
there a real need to imho.

for example, the application or desktop knows best when it wants to open 
something in a web browser or not, and it often has absolutely nothing to do 
with the protocol involved.

for example, http://mysite.com/foo.pdf will open in Okular not the web browser 
in KDE. in fact, we have two code paths for handing such urls: the "i know for 
sure that i want it opened in a web browser" and the "please figure out which 
app the user probably wants to open it in". this information has proven to 
only be located in the given application itself at runtime, not in a static 
database, as it depends on context and content.

all that is really needed is a way to note that "this app can be used as a 
default web browser", which is already covered by the use of the mimetype 
database for this  ...


so i'm all for the shared default apps (and would be happy to implement it in 
kde 4.4, even, pending approval from my fellow KDE devs) but think the URI 
sections should be dropped.

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Qt Software

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