[Thunar-dev] D-Bus interface

[Benedikt Meurer]

Benedikt Meurer wrote:
> Interface: org.xfce.FileManager
> ===============================
> 
> This is the basic interface implemented by Xfce file managers (Thunar
> and Xffm, and whatever other file managers). Other applications can
> communicate with the active file manager using this interface. The file
> manager will request the name "org.xfce.FileManager" on startup (without
> replacing any previously bound name), and applications use this name (as
> destination) when communicating with the file manager. This way, Xfce
> applications don't need to depend on Thunar or Xffm directly, but can
> use whatever file manager is running.
> 
> To make sure all file managers can easily support this interface, it
> contains only the most basic methods required by a file manager:
> 
>   /* Display the folder at uri in a (new) window, returns error if
>    * uri is not supported, does not exist or does not refer to a
>    * folder.
>    */
>   VOID DisplayFolder (STRING uri)
>   VOID DisplayFolderOnDisplay (STRING uri, STRING display)
> 
>   /* Opens the file properties dialog for the file at uri, returns
>    * error if uri is not supported or does not exist.
>    */
>   VOID DisplayFileProperties (STRING uri)
>   VOID DisplayFilePropertiesOnDisplay (STRING uri, STRING display)
> 
>   /* Opens the uri with the preferred application. If uri is a folder
>    * a (new) file manager window should be opened, else if uri refers
>    * to an executable file, that file should be run. Otherwise the
>    * preferred application for uri will be determined and run with
>    * uri. Returns error if uri is not support or does not exist.
>    */
>   VOID Launch (STRING uri)
>   VOID LaunchOnDisplay (STRING uri, STRING display)

VOID OpenPreferencesDialog (VOID)
VOID OpenPreferencesDialogOnDisplay (STRING display)

should be added as well, so we need only one simple(!) mcs plugin for
the file manager (which can be placed in xfce-mcs-plugins) that invokes
OpenPreferencesDialogOnDisplay() on the active file manager. This way
people won't get confused if they run Thunar and click on "File Manager"
button in the MCS dialog and see Xffm dialog popping up (and vice
versa), and even better, we won't have two "File Manager" buttons in the
MCS dialog.

Benedikt