myGames plugin: Early progress report

[waeberd]

Originally Posted by cheezey

Can you keep the option of having your My Games on the home page while incorporating it into the My Programs plugin also?

mmhhh... I don't think that it's a very good idea to keep both options open!
We should decide which way to go.
If integration is well done, we have a cool myProgams plugin and domi and I are not competitors (which would be really bad!!).

But finally, the bosses here have to decide! I try to be ready when the decision is made.....

Just my 2c!

Daniel

[MrMario64]

a game is a program, no matter how you call it...
This plugin covers all programs so My Programs is what it should be named.

if you want to name it My Games, sure go ahead and change the name in the language file...

And making it seperate is the "easy" way, we don't want that. We want a great working My Programs plugin, so you guys think how you make that
The easy way is not the preffered way....

[waeberd]

Originally Posted by MrMario64

The easy way is not the preffered way....

yep! got that!

And I agree that it's worth joining our efforts! Until domi's ready, I have to go the separate way for my prototype. And I know that I'll have to change my code to fit the new myPrograms, which is not a problem!

I'll be ready! 8)

[cheezey]

I agree you want a consistent approach and am all for co-operation, however flexibility is also a good aim.

I can change the language file so My Programs become My Games but what if there are items other than games in the My Programs menu?

Possible workarounds:

1. Does MP support multiple instances of a single plugin?

2. What's involved in duplicating the My Programs plugin to provide multiple copies of it?

[waeberd]

Originally Posted by cheezey

I can change the language file so My Programs become My Games but what if there are items other than games in the My Programs menu?

I can see your point... but right now I have to concentrate in good integration in myPrograms. Grouping or maybe filtering items in the display lists is on another level....

Cheers,

Daniel

[MrMario64]

I fail to see the point...

using the same reasoning you could also go for:

My Music and My Albums
or
My Wallpapers and My Photos
or
My hotmail and MyMail

You have to keep things in catagories to not clutter the home menu.
And the "you have to be flexible" is not an excuse in all cases.
users will have to accept some choices we make for them.
If they want to have total control(seemingly) they can go and use meedio as thats based on this users wish...
MediaPortal simply has a different approuch which has worked great sofar.

keep up the great work on the plugin!

[waeberd]

That's fine for me, Mario!!
If you don't set up rules like these, MP will run out of control!

Cheers,

Daniel

btw: * importing mygames.exe meedio-export files workzzzz!! 8)

next: importing *.my files (will be slower and they are not really standard INI-files, but it should be ok...).

[cheezey]

I just wanted more control of what appears on my home page.

I'm using Mediaportal on a family HTPC and want to make as simple for the kids to use a possible, and the simplest way is to have their commonly used items on the home page, such as Games, Karaoke, Internet Shortcuts etc.

Each to their own.........

[waeberd]

Originally Posted by cheezey

I just wanted more control of what appears on my home page.

There are other threads on that topic (i can remember tomtom who asked about inserting a two level menustructure etc.).

Right now, this is a bit out of scope for developing the plugin....

[Molokoids]

* I've contacted reverson1 (the author of the myGames-utility, see
http://www.getmygames.com ):
My wish would be that he writes a "EXPORT TO MEDIAPORTAL" function
as soon as my database schema is stable enough.
He thinks that this would be cool and chances are high that he
would write such an export
(I can hear you say: "So... don't fuck it up, Dude!!" 8) )
(Meedio-Export is already in that tool and writes a SQLite database,
so reverson1 certainly has the knowledge and the environment to do that!)

There's an open source Software called Ant movie catalog (specialized in movie but easily adaptable to games) which is great for generating .my type of files (xml, sql..).

http://www.antp.be/software/moviecatalog