Calling a plugin from the command line

[Alexander Toresson]

On 8/15/07, Paul Smith <phhs80 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/15/07, Alexander Toresson <alexander.toresson at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > > > Is there some way of calling a plugin from the command line?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Any specific reason you want to do this?
> > > > >
> > > > > Yes: I do not like to have many icons in the panel.
> > > >
> > > > Sorry, I don't follow. You would instead like to have icons... outside
> > > > of the panel!?
> > > > As in desktop icons or what?
> > >
> > > Ideally, I would not have any icon! The command line and the start
> > > menu would suffice for me. That is  merely a question of taste.
> > >
> > > For instance, in the case of xfce4-dict-plugin, why does not one have
> > > the option of calling it with simply typing 'dict' in the command
> > > line?
> > >
> >
> > "Call" it? Hmm, you want it to pop up in the panel when you do so, but
> > otherwise be hidden?
>
> Exactly, Alexander!
>

Hmm, I guess this could be done with dbus (the plugin is normally
zero-width, then when you run a command that sends a message to it via
dbus it will expand and grab focus, then when you're done with it it
will collapse again). This would be quite interesting, but I don't
know whether using a plugin for this would be necessary. Does the
program have to be in the panel? Would a window that pops up suffice?

// Alexander