[Sugar-devel] [IAEP] Share sugar objects on a standalone server

[Gary C Martin]

On 17 Jul 2009, at 03:43, Aleksey Lim wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 17, 2009 at 03:11:15AM +0100, Gary C Martin wrote:
>> Would be really good if we could just get the uploading of Journal
>> entries via Browse working reliably, right now it's only certain
>> simple object types (png, pdf, etc) that work reasonably.
>
> What do you mean exactly?
> Object chooser can pick any type of objects including "anything"  
> option.

Yes you can pick any entry in the Journal to upload via Browse, but  
you hit a number of bumps that make it fairy useless for most cases.  
Off the top of my head:

1) Upload file name is mangled, think it is currently some great long  
hex ID
2) Many Activities need work sorting out mime type, extension types
3) All the Activities metadata is lost
4) The http servers involved need to have these custom mime types,  
extension types
5) Downloading files with Browse mangles the name... again
6) The entry arrives as an 'Object', not an Activity (point of design  
needing clarification)
7) Due to above metadata/mime/extension mess you can't resume most  
entries in the intended Activity
8) If you do get it resumed in the correct Activity, it always stays  
as an 'Object', never a real activity entry

Just to clarify what I mean by Journal 'Object' and Journal 'Activity':

- Activity entries display with your, or another users, colour and  
with the icon of the Activity bundle it was created with, they  
automatically resume with that specific Activity if clicked.

- Object entries use one of the default icons for the Objects type  
(based on its mime/extension). Clicking an object starts it with a  
default Activity for that mime type (though you can start it with  
other compatible Activities). Even after you've started it, and worked  
on it with an Activity, it always stays as an Object (even if you Keep  
a new version) in your Journal. Example; download a JPG using Browse;  
start it from the Journal with Paint; draw on it; Stop Paint. You now  
have an edited image, but it's still an Object in your Journal, not a  
Paint Activity.

This may make sense for generic file types, but how would you expect a  
genuine Activity specific entry to look after downloading? If I  
uploaded a TurtleArt/Memorize/Etoys/Labyrinth Activity, I'd expect to  
be able to download it and get back a TurtleArt/Memorize/Etoys/ 
Labyrinth Activity in my Journal, not some generic mime type Object.

Simon might have some more input on this (we had a short test session  
back during SugarCamp to try to see where the main bumps in the  
workflow were).

Regards,
--Gary