Extensibility

Extensions

1. new Kinds, subclasses of ContentModel
2. new types of View (which are Kinds -- subclasses of Block, perhaps a bit of python logic)
3. instances of Views
4. new ContentItems, new ItemCollections
5. new Blocks (widgets that can be used to create views, or that can be inserted into the chrome, in particular the sidebar)
6. extensions to ContentModel Kinds

Any of these things can be created in parcels.

Scenarios

• MortgageMaker application. Makes use of PIM data: contacts, tasks. Relationship between contacts and mortgage data. Relationship between tasks and mortgage data. Add journal of phone conversations.
  • new ContentModel Kinds: Mortage application, journal entry
  • new detail views for Kinds
    • detail view for mortgage application fairly different
  • summary view is very similar to pim summary views, if not the same
  • sidebar?
• MP3 application.
  • new ContentModel Kinds: Playlist, album, song, artist
  • new detail views for Kinds
  • view types may differ slightly for playlists
  • add block/widget with play/stop/ff affordances to sidebar or chrome
• Project management
  • new view type: charts
  • new/altered ContentModel Kinds: task, project
  • new summary view?
  • sidebar?
• Book club
  • new ContentModel Kinds: book, author
  • use same/very similar summary views as PIM
  • new detail view for book, author?
  • sidebar incorporates books?
  • perhaps done reasonably easily without writing a parcel at all
• Zaobao
  • new ContentModel Kinds: rss item, channel
  • task for loading feeds
  • variant summary view
  • new detail view
• VOIP functionality
  • helper functionality for use by capplets
  • Content model Kinds/Attributes
  • python code, discoverable?

Questions

• Do any examples not fall into the pattern of ContentItems, ItemCollections and their views?
  • Add tasks, behaviors: loading zaobao feeds, playing an mp3
• What is consistent from capplet to capplet?
  • what is consistent about the sidebar?
  • what is consistent about view navigation? tabbed views?

-- KatieCappsParlante - 21 Apr 2004