Difference between revisions of "Panel Applets (KDE3 Architecture)"

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(Created page with "== Panel Applets == KDE's panel (also known as kicker) allows small programs, called "applets", to be embedded. Currently, for example the clock and the pager are implemented...")
 
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Kicker (the Trinity panel)allows small programs, called
== Panel Applets ==
 
  +
'''applets''', to be embedded into it. The clock and the pager are both examples of
 
  +
Kicker applets.
KDE's panel (also known as kicker) allows small programs, called
 
"applets", to be embedded. Currently, for example the clock and
 
the pager are implemented as applets.
 
   
 
Applets can run either in the internally (i.e. in the panel's process
 
Applets can run either in the internally (i.e. in the panel's process
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and external applets is transparent. He implements an applet as a
 
and external applets is transparent. He implements an applet as a
 
dynamically loadable library and inherits from the KPanelApplet class
 
dynamically loadable library and inherits from the KPanelApplet class
in the libkdeui library. In order to notify the panel about a new applet,
+
in the <tt>libtdeui</tt> library. In order to notify the panel about a new applet,
 
it has to install a [http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-0.9.8.html .desktop file] in the
 
it has to install a [http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/desktop-entry-spec-0.9.8.html .desktop file] in the
directory share/apps/kicker/applet in the KDE directory
+
directory <tt>share/apps/kicker/applet</tt> in the TDE directory
 
hierarchy.
 
hierarchy.
   
 
Further information is available in the
 
Further information is available in the
[http://api.kde.org/3.5-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kdeui/html/classKPanelApplet.html KPanelApplet]
+
[http://trinitydesktop.org/docs/trinity/tdelibs/tdeui/html/classKPanelApplet.html KPanelApplet]
 
documentation.
 
documentation.
   

Latest revision as of 16:26, 21 April 2022

Kicker (the Trinity panel)allows small programs, called applets, to be embedded into it. The clock and the pager are both examples of Kicker applets.

Applets can run either in the internally (i.e. in the panel's process space) or externally (i.e. as separate processes). The advantage of the first method is that the memory overhead is not higher than really necessary. On the other hand, an unstable applet can crash the whole panel. This can not happen with an external applet which communicates with the panel via a DCOP connection.

From the programmer's point of view, the difference between internal and external applets is transparent. He implements an applet as a dynamically loadable library and inherits from the KPanelApplet class in the libtdeui library. In order to notify the panel about a new applet, it has to install a .desktop file in the directory share/apps/kicker/applet in the TDE directory hierarchy.

Further information is available in the KPanelApplet documentation.


Initial Author: Bernd Gehrmann