Date:   Thu, 1 Apr 1999 11:51:03 +0200
From: David Faure <faure@kde.org>
To: kfm-devel@kde.org
Subject: How to choose between builtin and external application : proposal

How to configure between builtin and external viewers ?
I discussed this with a friend, and here is what we come up with :

* global defaults, set in kcontrol, for each mimetype group:

text : use builtin viewer (yes/no)  [checkbox]
image : use builtin viewer (yes/no)  [checkbox]
other : use builtin viewer (yes/no)  [checkbox] (i.e. application/*, like dvi, ps...)

* then, in the properties dialog for every mimetype:
- use default (checkbox as "no change")
- use builtin viewer (checkbox as "on")
- use external application (checkbox as "off")

(=> saved as X-KDE-AutoEmbed=true/false or no entry)

This way, one can set choose between builtin and external for all text /
images files, and set individual values too (e.g. an icon-team artist would
set up external for xpm, to edit them, and builtin for jpeg, gif, ... to
simply view them).  I would personnally set normal-text and english-text to
builtin (to view READMEs) but c++, h, java, ... to my editor.

And one that doesn't like embedded viewers (like Martin ;)) can set
defaults to 'no' without having to change all mimetypes (text, c, c++, ...)
but still use libkhtml for HTML pages, by setting 'use builtin' in the
mimetype text/html - this is the way to keep the exact (though
inconsistent) behaviour of 1.1-kfm.

I suggest that factory defaults (i.e. configuration for first-time users)
would be set to 'yes' for the three groups (-> use builtin)
and would be 'use default' for mimetypes.
This for speed reasons (embedded viewers are really fast) and also to show
the new features ;)
KOffice mimetypes have it set to no, though -> click edits.

Implemented on 09-04-2000
David FAURE <faure@kde.org>