[work] [Qgis-community-team] Re: Python plugins and C++ plugins: using different terms

Thu Aug 7 10:41:25 EDT 2008

In 10 seconds of in-depth research in Wikipedia, I come to the 
conclusion that the terms plugin, addon and extension are 
interchangeable. So it seems confusing to me to introduce more than one- 
it suggests a difference which doesn't exist.

The user guide will follow the GUI, so I think it is premature to talk 
about what language will be used in the user guide.
First, decide how the GUI will deal with the issue of a separate 
mechanism for plugin installation, then the user guide language will 
follow naturally.

At present, the Plugin menu seems quite confusing to me. IMO, the Plugin 
Installer should not appear within the list of other enabled plugins, 
but should be above the divider, together with Plugin Manager. I would 
rather see actions phrases (Install Plugins, Manage Plugins) similar to 
(most) other menu items, such as Add a Vector Layer.
And then it makes sense to have a submenu under Install Plugins for 
(Install Python Plugins) and (Install C++ Plugins). Otherwise, how would 
one know that there are C++ plugins to install? If there is no dialog 
box for installing C++ Plugins, this could simply lead to a popup with 
instructions.

By the way, how does one "uninstall" plugins?

Tara

Tim Sutton wrote:
> Hi
>
> 2008/8/7 Agustin Lobo <aloboaleu at gmail.com>:
>   
>> Thanks again.
>>
>> The following suggestion might seem just a minor question of nomenclature
>> and apologize if you find it an unnecessary complication,
>> but I think it's important for the user not to be confused:
>>
>> "Within QGis documentation, the term plugin should be restricted to python
>> plugins. We should  find a different term for C++ plugins"
>>     
>
> Well they are both plugins, they both follow the same same
> programmatic interface so it is correct to call them both plugins. In
> an ideal world the user should be unaware of differences between
> plugins created in python and those created in C++. The real issue is
> of course how plugins are distributed. If it were possible to
> distribute them in the same way this would be a non issue, but C++
> plugins require per platform compilation (and gain some advantages in
> speed and ease of inclusion in the core QGIS product). Python plugins
> on the other hand are (at the moment anyway) more complicated to ship
> with the core QGIS but have the advantage of being OS independent and
> needing no precompilation.
>
>
>   
>> I understand this can be odd and unnecessary for developers, but from
>> the operational point of view of a user, a plugin is something you install
>> using the plugin installer. C++ plugins (i.e., eVIS) require
>> a different procedure, we should refer to them with a different
>> term and activate/desactivate them using a different tab in the menu. May be
>> we could call C++ plugins "extensions"? Perhaps there are better terms, but
>> making the distinction is important. Another option is calling both of them
>> "extensions" and then "python plugins" and "C++ plugins". We would have a
>> "Python Plugin Installer" and an "Extensions Manager" (where we can
>> activate/desactivate both types, as currently done).
>>
>>     
>
> Actually we have a plugin *manager* that lets you enable and disable
> selected plugins (C++ or python it doesnt matter which) and a plugin
> installer (which downloads plugins and makes them available to the
> plugin manager). I fully agree we need to take some effort to make
> this distinction clearer. Borys could probably help a little with this
> too, and perhaps the documentation folks could include a redacted
> version of  my first paragraph above somewhere in the user guide too?
>
> Regards
>
> Tim
>
>   
>> Agus
>>
>>
>> Tim Sutton wrote:
>>     
>>> Hi
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2008/8/6 Agustin Lobo <Agustin.Lobo at ija.csic.es>:
>>>       
>>>> Thanks, this is even more than I was asking for, as the user
>>>> can copy the coordinates to the clipboard, which is very useful as well.
>>>>         
>>> Good. I combined several other folks requests and trac enhancment
>>> requests into it. I'm making a few more tweaks to it still.
>>>
>>>       
>>>> If this is in svn trunk I understand that this feature will
>>>> be in the core of QGIS, not a plugin. If it's a plugin, should not be
>>>> installed through the plugin manager?
>>>>         
>>> Its like this:
>>>
>>> - there are two kinds of plugins C++ and Python
>>> - there are two ways to distribute plugins - as part of the core QGIS
>>> (will be in each type binary release we make - win/mac/linux /etc), or
>>> downloaded via the python plugin installer.
>>>
>>> The coordinate capture plugin is a C++ plugin which will be
>>> distributed with core QGIS code. You will need to enable it from the
>>> plugin manager, but there is no need to install it through the plugin
>>> installer since it will come preinstalled when you get QGIS 1.0. If
>>> you are building from source using SVN trunk, simply open the plugin
>>> manager and tick the Coordinate Capture entry in the plugins list.
>>> Hope that explanation wasnt too confusing...
>>>
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> Tim
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> Agus
>>>>
>>>> Tim Sutton wrote:
>>>>         
>>>>> Hi
>>>>>
>>>>> I wrote a little plugin that lets you click on the map and copy the
>>>>> coordinates to the clipboard. If you are using on the fly projection
>>>>> it will display coordinates both in lat/lon and in the map canvas
>>>>> projection.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/timlinux/2738766800/
>>>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/timlinux/2738766796/
>>>>>
>>>>> Probably doesnt address all the needs expressed in this thread but
>>>>> hopefully it will take you some way there. Plugin is in SVN trunk and
>>>>> will be in QGIS 1.0.0
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards
>>>>>
>>>>> Tim
>>>>>           
>> --
>> Dr. Agustin Lobo
>> Institut de Ciencies de la Terra "Jaume Almera" (CSIC)
>> LLuis Sole Sabaris s/n
>> 08028 Barcelona
>> Spain
>> Tel. 34 934095410
>> Fax. 34 934110012
>> email: Agustin.Lobo at ija.csic.es
>> http://www.ija.csic.es/gt/obster
>>
>>     
>
>
>
>   

-- 
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Tara Athan
Principal, Alternatives to Invasive Species
tara_athan [AT] alt2is.com
707-485-1198
PO Box 415
Redwood Valley, CA 95470