Re: [Gnash-dev] GUI-specific configuration

[Rob Savoye]

Udo Giacomozzi wrote:

> Exactly. And that's why I'm surprised that you're suggesting XML for a
> configuration file.

  It any compatibility with the proprietary player is desired, then XML
is your best choice. Otherwise, I'd go with reading a simpler file. XML
is pretty simple though, but then again, I wrote the XML support for
Gnash. :-)

> Don't understand why you're talking about ActionScript - the GUI is
> not related to the VM.

  I was just explaining how the XML support in Gnash worked...

> *not* specifically designed for Gnash. However, for the player to work
> correctly, some additional configuration is needed to support the
> hardware. This is something the user has to do - just like he has to
> configure it's X server.

  The settings in .gnashrc may change over time, it sounds like the
settings you are talking about are more of a platform configuration
thing. (ala XF86Config) I'm not totally opposed to adding a section in
the .gnashrc file, but it seems that for something that is so FB
specific, it should be it's own file and format.

> I basically agree with you, but the FB GUI is not an extension - it's
> a choice.

  Right, but the File I/O stuff is an extension. Sometimes Gnash gets
heat for
the entire concept of extending the Flash spec. I see this more as
making Gnash a better Flash better, with better support for the kinds of
things embedded developers need.

> Fully agree! I'm happy you made this extension, as otherwise I would
> have to do it :) I'm missing functions like rename(), though.

  I'll see about adding some directory and file manipulation next time I
work on that extension. You may not need it, but I also added a MySQL
extension so you can talk directly to a database. Both of these had been
suggested to me many times.

> Using files is the most simple and effective way to talk to the rest
> of an embedded system. As for compatibility, is there a way to detect
> if the file I/O extension is available?

  If file = new FileIO(); fails, it's not installed. That's at least how
the testcases do it. Currently the list of extensions isn't exported
into the Gnash VM in a way it'd be accessible to a movie.

        - rob-