Subject: automatic menu generation for wm's
To: None <tech-pkg@netbsd.org>
From: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@tensor.3miasto.net>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 04/06/2003 21:04:17
i found nice feature in Debian/GNU linux package system that is really
worth of making in pkgsrc.

it's automatic menus in all (most) window managers generated based on
installed packages.


my idea is to have directory

${PREFIX}/share/appmenus

in which any levels of subdirectories and files named as apps with such
text format:

Name <full app name>
Info <short info>
Name-<language> <full app name in this language>
Info-<language> <short info in this language>
Icon16x16 <full icon filename path>
Icon32x32 <full icon filename path>
Command <command to execute>
Command-<language> <command>


explanation:

Name and Info in English used if no lang-specific is available
Command-<language> will rarely be needed but may be for some crappy apps
that need other way to specify language than $LANG



for this - application (packaged as separate package like wm/automenu) run
by hand after deleting/adding packages will generate menu definitions for
known windows managers.

config file will decide for which languages and window managers it will
generate menus and what source dirs will scan (default - all known WM's,
${PREFIX}/share/appmenus only and english only)

placed in
/usr/pkg/etc/wm-menus/<window_manager_name>/<language>

for all WM's small change will be needed to:

a) remove example apps from their default config
b) add directive to include generated menu definitions from
/usr/pkg/etc/wm-menus/...



how about that idea?

if good and accepted - i can write the application for this and patch
fvwm* packages for this. users of other WM will do simple add on.