Chris Melville wrote:
> Currently Mozilla is a browser (Navigator), with additional "applications"
> like Communicator/Composer. However I am interested in generalising its
> design so that it becomes a generic application platform in which plug-in
> applications (lets call them PIAs, not to be confused with the current
> browser plug-ins) run.
>
> In this model, according to my initial thoughts:
>
> 1) Until PIAs are run, Mozilla is just an empty application platform (the
> "Mozilla shell") with no specific functionality (not even a browser) other
> than to provide an outer UI framework and some standard services for PIAs to
> run in.
>
> 2) Each of the current "applications" (Navigator/Communicator/Composer/etc)
> becomes a distinct PIA.
>
> 3) PIAs live in a single subdirectory (like current browser plug-ins),
> probably as JAR files which can be remotely installed and updated.
>
> 4) On startup Mozilla looks for the installed PIAs and makes them accessible
> via the lower panel (from which Communicator/etc are currently accessed).
>
> 5) Unlike the current Navigator/Composer/Communicator scheme, PIAs always
> run in the Mozilla instance from which they are started - they do not start
> off new Mozilla "instances" (though perhaps the user can optionally override
> this). The user can switch between them using the same lower panel icons,
> which "activates" the selected PIA and "suspends" (hides) the last one.
>
> 6) Each PIA has its own chrome within an overall convention and style (eg.
> the sidebar only shows tabs for the currently active PIA, the toolbar shows
> overall application commands as well as commands for the active PIA, etc).
> Maybe each PIA can have its own skin (still closely related to other related
> PIAs), for example to provide extra clarity to the user regarding which one
> is currently active (eg. Navigator PIA could have a slightly different
> chrome background color to the Communicator PIA, etc).
>
> 7) When the user switches between PIAs, the Mozilla shell works with the
> activating PIA to restore its chrome/skin, and hides the last PIA.
>
> 8) PIAs can also activate themselves by request to the Mozilla shell
> (possible with user confirmation), eg. if something happens which the user
> needs to know about (eg. the Communicator PIA detects new mail).
>
> 9) Unlike the current design, the Mozilla shell can give multiple "main
> client windows" to the active PIA, and provides a new UI to interface this
> to the user (maybe the main client area is now tabbed, a new menu is
> provided, an MDI-like scheme is used, or whatever). This does not mean they
> have to be used - if a PIA advises that it is a one-window application, then
> that's all it gets (so the Navigator PIA could continue to be a one-window
> app, if that's what people want - but not me!).
>
> 10) The Mozilla shell can be started with a PIA name specified on the
> command line, in which case only that one is loaded and (automatically) run.
> Thus, the user can still treat Navigator/Communicator/etc as completely
> separate applications if they want (eg. started with different desktop
> icons).
>
> Example:
>
> To give an example of how this might be used, think ActiveState Komodo.
> Although Mozilla-based, it is a multi-windowed scripting IDE, not a single
> window browser-based thing. I imagine this resulted in a significant branch
> to the original Mozilla code base, and it certainly installs its own Mozilla
> base on your hard drive. With the above scheme it wouldn't be a branch to
> Mozilla at all - just a new PIA within several others, all existing in the
> same Mozilla trunk, and within the same Mozilla installation on your hard
> drive.
>
> As far as I can tell, the current Mozilla outer design already nods in the
> direction of many of the above (5 and 9 excepted), so this *might* not be
> such a major undertaking. However I'm very new to Mozilla so I'd welcome any
> feedback from those who know it far better than I, and would welcome
> participation from same should this go ahead.
>
> Cheers,
> Chris
>
>
>
>
Hmmm, as I see it you talk about another StarOffice - shell that uses
up sys resources - and that's it. Well, it's my personal opinion - I
really don't like such kind of applications - and I DO know that some
people would gladly see such kind of application.
Personally I think that Mozilla project should give us all a "perfect"
browser/MailNews Client. Themes are good step towards it, multi mail
accound readability is also a good thing. But the question that we
should state is: "What IS going Mozilla toBE?"
I think.
