DesktopCouchWishList

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Describe DesktopCouchWishList here. This is where [[https://launchpad.net/~jderose|Jason]] is keeping notes on changes he would like to see in [[https://launchpad.net/desktopcouch|desktopcouch]] based on his experience working on [[https://launchpad.net/dmedia|dmedia]].
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This is where [[https://launchpad.net/~jderose|Jason]] is keeping notes on changes he would like to see in [[https://launchpad.net/desktopcouch|desktopcouch]] based on his experience working on [[https://launchpad.net/dmedia|dmedia]]. Note that this is written out of love of desktopcouch, despite being a list of pain points Jason would like to see changed.

May Stuart and Jason's bromance continue.
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In addition to using desktopcouch, Both Novacut and dmedia ''must'' be able to run on headless servers and talk to a system-wide CouchDB. Although as of dmedia 0.6 this will finally be possible, it took a while to get there, plus there is still one fundamental issue: the desktopcouch reconnection hack for working around CouchDB hanging after resuming from suspend. In addition to using desktopcouch, Both Novacut and dmedia ''must'' be able to run on headless servers and talk to a system-wide CouchDB. Although as of dmedia 0.6 this will finally be possible, it took a while to get there, plus there is still one fundamental issue: the desktopcouch reconnection hack for working around CouchDB crashing after resuming from suspend.

=== reconnection hack must go ===

To have the reconnection hack work you must use a `desktopcouch.records.database.Database`, which makes it basically impossible to abstract away the desktop.

Jason's #1 request for Oneiric is for this to change. Instead, the port ''must'' remain the same throughout the desktop session. It's fine if the port is randomly chosen at the start of the session, but it must remain the same once desktopcouch starts.

When it comes down to it, the API needs to be plain HTTP. Requiring a specialized wrapper library like desktopcouch closes off too many cool use cases (like having the same application run both on the web and on desktopcouch more or less transparently).

For what it's worth, `desktopcouch.Database` isn't close enough to the CouchDB REST API to be usable by dmedia (DC makes too many assumptions, certain functionality isn't available). In fact, even [[http://packages.python.org/CouchDB/|python-couchdb]] has been a constant headache for dmedia... again, certain functionality isn't exposed, and there is way too much magic/ambiguity behind the scenes.

Not that this sort wrapper isn't probably a perfect fit for some applications. But dmedia and Novacut are pretty demanding, and something close to the metal like [[https://launchpad.net/microfiber|microfiber]] would make Jason's life much easier.
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There needs to be a single entry point from which an app can get information about the CouchDB environment it is running in. If you were running against desktopcouch, it would return something like this: As I discussed in [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/dmedia/+bug/722035|lp:722035]], There needs to be a single entry point from which an app can get information about the CouchDB environment it is running in. If you were running against desktopcouch, it would return something like this:
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When talking to CouchDB from Python, [[http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~dmedia/dmedia/trunk/view/head:/dmedia/abstractcouch.py#L53|dmedia.abstractcouch.get_server()]] is used to create an appropriately configured `couchdb.Server` based on the ''env'' it is passed.
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=== reconnection hack must go === When talking to CouchDB from !JavaScript (UI running in embedded !WebKit), the dmedia [[http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~dmedia/dmedia/trunk/view/head:/dmedia/gtkui/widgets.py#L32|CouchView]] is used to transparently sign OAuth requests. This would be a great piece to standardize and upstream into desktopcouch.
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=== enforcing record_type is too restrictive ===

This is where Jason is keeping notes on changes he would like to see in desktopcouch based on his experience working on dmedia.

Note that this is written out of love of desktopcouch, despite being a list of pain points Jason would like to see changed.

May Stuart and Jason's bromance continue.

Abstract away the Desktop part

In addition to using desktopcouch, Both Novacut and dmedia must be able to run on headless servers and talk to a system-wide CouchDB. Although as of dmedia 0.6 this will finally be possible, it took a while to get there, plus there is still one fundamental issue: the desktopcouch reconnection hack for working around CouchDB crashing after resuming from suspend.

reconnection hack must go

To have the reconnection hack work you must use a desktopcouch.records.database.Database, which makes it basically impossible to abstract away the desktop.

Jason's #1 request for Oneiric is for this to change. Instead, the port must remain the same throughout the desktop session. It's fine if the port is randomly chosen at the start of the session, but it must remain the same once desktopcouch starts.

When it comes down to it, the API needs to be plain HTTP. Requiring a specialized wrapper library like desktopcouch closes off too many cool use cases (like having the same application run both on the web and on desktopcouch more or less transparently).

For what it's worth, desktopcouch.Database isn't close enough to the CouchDB REST API to be usable by dmedia (DC makes too many assumptions, certain functionality isn't available). In fact, even python-couchdb has been a constant headache for dmedia... again, certain functionality isn't exposed, and there is way too much magic/ambiguity behind the scenes.

Not that this sort wrapper isn't probably a perfect fit for some applications. But dmedia and Novacut are pretty demanding, and something close to the metal like microfiber would make Jason's life much easier.

abstractcouch.get_env()

As I discussed in lp:722035, There needs to be a single entry point from which an app can get information about the CouchDB environment it is running in. If you were running against desktopcouch, it would return something like this:

  • {
      "oauth": {
        "consumer_key": "oRTyTHKiKu", 
        "consumer_secret": "bdXSzITryM", 
        "token": "lyrygLlsbk", 
        "token_secret": "QbqvZaiBGV"
      }, 
      "port": 45484, 
      "url": "http://localhost:45484/"
    }

Or if you were running against the system-wide CouchDB, it would return something like this:

  • {
      "port": 5984, 
      "url": "http://localhost:5984/"
    }

dmedia.core.get_env() implements the above behavior (but the point is apps shouldn't have to abstract away the desktop part on their own).

When talking to CouchDB from Python, dmedia.abstractcouch.get_server() is used to create an appropriately configured couchdb.Server based on the env it is passed.

When talking to CouchDB from JavaScript (UI running in embedded WebKit), the dmedia CouchView is used to transparently sign OAuth requests. This would be a great piece to standardize and upstream into desktopcouch.

enforcing record_type is too restrictive

Per DB sync should be opt-in, not opt-out

Standard location for static webUI files

DesktopCouchWishList (last edited 2011-05-09 16:06:31 by 137)