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diff --git a/kresources/README.design b/kresources/README.design deleted file mode 100644 index b2163c8b7..000000000 --- a/kresources/README.design +++ /dev/null @@ -1,173 +0,0 @@ -kresources -README.design - -KDE RESOURCES -------------- -The KDE Resource framework can be used to manage resources of -different types, organized in families. The Resource framework is -currently used for addressbook resources in tdelibs/kabc and for -calendar resources in libkcal. -A resource family represents stores of information of a certain kind -(appointments, contacts). A resource type class represents a way in -which this information is stored, or a way to access the information. - - resources - | - +----------+----------+----------------+--- - | | | -Families: calendar contacts ... - | | - +---+--+ +-----+-----+-----+-- - | | | | | | -Types: local Exchange file dir ldap ... - file server - - -Resource families are usually implemented as (abstract) classes -in a library, e.g. the calendar resource in libkcal en the -addressbook resource family in libkabc. Resource type are like -plugins: that can be loaded on-demand, they are implemented in -their own library, and a .desktop file tells KDE where to find -them. - -The user then configures one or more resources for a certain -family, making use of the resource types. For instance, a user -might define two Exchange-based resources, one with her own -calendar data and one with the calendar data of her workgroup. -She might also have two ldap contacts resources, together with -a local file-based address book. - -Both Exchange-based calendar resources are objects of the same -type, but with different settings. These resources are persistent, -and they are managed by the ResourceManager for the calendar -resource family. The list of resources, and the settings for -each resource, are stored by the resource manager using KConfig, -in $HOME/.trinity/share/config/<family>. - -The resource manager is a singleton object for every resource family. -Use the resource manager to get the list of available resource types -in this family, to create a new resource of a given type, to get a -configuration widget for a resource, to get the list of defined -resources in this family, and to get a specific resource object. - -USE CASES ---------- -Opening all resources of resource family "calendar". The associated -(abstract) class is ResourceCalendar. - - KRES::ResourceManager<ResourceCalendar> mManager = new KRES::ResourceManager<ResourceCalendar>( "calendar" ); - QPtrList<ResourceCalendar> mResources = mManager->resources(); - // Open resources - ResourceCalendar *resource; - for ( resource = mResources.first(); resource; resource = mResources.next() ) { - kdDebug() << "Opening resource " + resource->name() << endl; - bool result = resource->open(); - if ( ! result ) - kdDebug() << "Error opening resource" << endl; - } - -Note that the resources are configured by the user in a kcontrol -applet. The singleton resourcemanager reads the configuration from -the config file that the kcm applet writes. - -Getting the events for a certain date range from all resources. -ResourceCalendar defines a function -QPtrList<Event> rawEvents( QDate start, QDate end, bool inclusive ) -that returns the events in the resource in the date range. We just -iterate over all available resources to harvest all events. - - QPtrList<Event> result; - ResourceCalendar *resource; - for ( resource = mResources.first(); resource; resource = mResources.next() ) { - QPtrList<Event> list = resource->rawEvents( start, end, inclusive ); - Event* item; - for ( item = list.first(); item; item = list.next() ) { - result.append( item ); - } - } - -EXAMPLES --------- -For examples, check the following files in tdepim/libkcal: -- resourcecalendar.{h,cpp} - Defines the base class of the calendar resource family -- kcmcalendars.{h,cpp} - Defines the KControl applet for calendar resources -- kcalendars.desktop - This .desktop files tells KControl where to find the - applet for calendar resources. -- Makefile.am - How to build and install the calendar resource family - -The "local" resource is compiled and installed together -with libkcal: -- resourcelocal.{h,cpp} - Defines the local resource type, in the calendar resource family -- resourcelocalconfig.{h,cpp} - Defines the configuration widget for the local resource -- local.desktop - Information on the local resource type, in order to know - which resource types are available - -The "exchange" calendar resource is compiled in a separate -library, dynamically loaded by the resource manager if -resources of this type are used. This resource is in -tdepim/kresources/exchange: -- resourceexchange.{h,cpp} - Defines the exchange resource -- resourceexchangeconfig.{h,cpp} - Defines the configuration widget for the exchange resource -- exchange.desktop - This file is installed so that the resource manager can - find the exchange resource type -- Makefile.am - How to build and install the exchange resource type - -IDEAS/ISSUES/PROBLEMS ---------------------- -- What happens when there are resource manager in two separate -processes (like kcontrol and korganizer, or two kcontrols) both -accessing the same resource family? - - + If there are more than one resource managers running in the - same KDE session, but in separate processes, they should keep - each other informed. I've implemented some DCOP stuff so that - the various managers know when resources have been added, - deleted or modified. These messages are not yet handled - completely. - -- The resource manager should send a signal when a resource -has changed, so that the applications can update their information. - - + Problem with this: ResourceManager is a template class. - Templates cannot have signals or slots. An app should - implement the ManagerObserver interface and register with the - resource manager. - -- Maybe the flags that marks each resource as active or passive, -and the Standard resource, should be application-specific? E.g., -I can imagine karm looking only in the business calendar, so it -should have only one active calendar, while KORganizer would also -have my wife's calendar active read-only. - -- There should be a way to synchronize the concurrent use of a -resource, be it in the same process, on different processes in -the same KDE session, or even when e.g. korganizer uses an -Exchange calendar while also Outlook is running on a Windows PC. - -- have the item that resource object delivers (events, contacts) -derived from ResourceItem. Then introduce locking and unlocking, -that every resource type should extend using its own locking -mechanism, like SQL locks, or file locks, or whatever. - - + This means that Addressee, Event etc. should be - derived from ResourceItem. - + Communication via DCOP via the Resource, I think. - + Drawback: flexibility is lost, because the Resource - would have to be a factory for these objects. - -- Maybe the resource class should have some generic support -for searching. In the calendar family, you could search by -date, by category or by key word, in the kabc family you -could search by key word, name, country, etc. - |