Why so many Common Libraries?

[MixMan]

I'm not a programmer so i guess that I don't know what I'm talking about.
But it seems like every programmer that start making plugins for GBVPR
reinvents the wheel over and over again?
What happes when a programmer leaves GBPVR for another MediaCenter?
I guess someone else has to invent the functions again.
Programmers that have "left" GBPVR that I remeber are Reven and Jeff.
Both made great plguins that died...... and good code with them.
One problem is that the programmers distribute their common DLLs with the plugins,
so when a user downloads a plugin, he might get old "Common Libraries".
I download a code browser tool and had a look at the Classes in the DLLs to see
how often the wheel has been reinvented.
I can see that many programmers amd the same functions.

I suggest that you programmers work together and "donate" code into "Common Libaries"
thar are open source code with a "Code Project License"
This would help new programmers to get started and the Common Functions would have lifetime
that goes beyond the programmers presens on the forum. Perhaps we would see more plugins also?
Perhaps Sub and you bright guys could organize something like this and maybe the "CommonLibraries"
could be distributed with GBPVR and get better and better, just like EWA.

Which programmer will take the first step?

Suggestion that Libraries are separeted into functions.
CommonUILibrary.dll - for UI related stuff
CommonMetadataLibrary.dll - for internet and metadata download stuff
CommonInterfaceLibrary.dll - for interfacing hardware stuff



Common Libraries by plugin developers.

// Module: CommonGBPVRUtilities.dll - by Jeff that seems to have left GBPVR?
// Classes

CommonGBPVRUtilities._DeviceVolumeMonitor
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ArchiveDB
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ArchiveRecord
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ConfigFileUtilities
CommonGBPVRUtilities.DeviceVolumeMonitor
CommonGBPVRUtilities.DeviceVolumeMonitorException
CommonGBPVRUtilities.DirectoryRecord
CommonGBPVRUtilities.DvdUtilities
CommonGBPVRUtilities.EditDialog
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ErrorDialog
CommonGBPVRUtilities.FileMapRecord
CommonGBPVRUtilities.GBPVRInfo
CommonGBPVRUtilities.InternetInfoFetcher
CommonGBPVRUtilities.MP3File
CommonGBPVRUtilities.PanelMessage
CommonGBPVRUtilities.PanelWidget
CommonGBPVRUtilities.PhoneKeys
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ScreenBoxParams
CommonGBPVRUtilities.ScreenButton
CommonGBPVRUtilities.SkinUtilities
CommonGBPVRUtilities.StatusLog
CommonGBPVRUtilities.UiUtilities
CommonGBPVRUtilities.UpcomingRecording
CommonGBPVRUtilities.UpcomingRecordings
CommonGBPVRUtilities.UserAccess
CommonGBPVRUtilities.UserRecord
CommonGBPVRUtilities.VAPanel
CommonGBPVRUtilities.VAPanelException
CommonGBPVRUtilities.YesNoDialog

// Module: JeffTree.dll - by Jeff
// Classes

JeffsTree.DisplayItem
JeffsTree.DisplayListTree
JeffsTree.DisplayListTreeSortOrder
JeffsTree.EpisodeInfo
JeffsTree.JeffsTreeNode
JeffsTree.ShellLink
JeffsTree.ShellShortcut


// Module: GbpvrUiElements.dll - by McBainUK
// Classes

GbpvrUiElements.Button
GbpvrUiElements.ButtonGrid
GbpvrUiElements.ButtonList
GbpvrUiElements.Dialog
GbpvrUiElements.GbpvrUiElement
GbpvrUiElements.Grid
GbpvrUiElements.InteractiveGbpvrUiElement
GbpvrUiElements.Keyboard
GbpvrUiElements.Label
GbpvrUiElements.List
GbpvrUiElements.ListItem
GbpvrUiElements.MultiView
GbpvrUiElements.MultiViewDetailsView
GbpvrUiElements.MultiViewFilmstripView
GbpvrUiElements.MultiViewIconView
GbpvrUiElements.MultiViewListItem
GbpvrUiElements.MultiViewListView
GbpvrUiElements.OKCancelDialog
GbpvrUiElements.OKDialog
GbpvrUiElements.TextBox
GbpvrUiElements.UpdateDetails
GbpvrUiElements.UpdateManager
GbpvrUiElements.Utilities
GbpvrUiElements.YesNoDialog

// Module: WizWebHelper.dll - by JavaWiz
// Classes

WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.AWizScraper
WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.HttpImageGrabber
WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.ImdbScraper
WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.MovieInfo
WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.TheTvDbScraper
WizUtilities.WizWebHelper.WizThumbnail

// Module: WizUiHelper.dll - by JavaWiz

// Namespace: WizUtilities
// Classes

WizUtilities.GenUtil
WizUtilities.HexEncoding
WizUtilities.PatternReplaceEntry
WizUtilities.StopWatch
WizUtilities.WizInfo
WizUtilities.WizSMS
// Namespace: WizUtilities.WizUiHelper
// Classes

WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.AWizListItem
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.AWizUiControl
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizButtonAttr
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizControlManager
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizUiButton
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizUiButtonList
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizUiLabel
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizUiList
WizUtilities.WizUiHelper.WizUiTextBox

// Module: MusicLibraryCommon.dll
// Classes

PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.Audioscrobbler
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.ConfigConstants
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.MediaLibrary
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.MusicCollection
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.Playlist
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.PlaylistReaderThread
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.ServiceInstaller
// Classes

PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.AudioscrobblerNET.AudioscrobblerException
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.AudioscrobblerNET.AudioscrobblerRequest
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.AudioscrobblerNET.AudioscrobblerResponse
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.AudioscrobblerNET.InfoEventArgs
// Classes

PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.Config.CollectionEditor
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.Config.MusicLibrarySettings
PsycikProductions.MusicLibrary.Config.Progress

[psycik]

My stuff isn't a common library apart from in the sense that both ML2 and ML3 both use it...

[psycik]

But that said, it is probably a problem when we generally have closed source plugins. I guess all that can be done is when a plugin developer leaves they make their source available..

This is the main reason why I don't use any other libraries, apart from anything sub writes. Does take me longer to do things, but also I'm not dependant on something that someone who may have left wrote.

[MixMan]

I think that a CommonUILibrary with a popup box that has one button or SMS keypad that almost everybody made in their libraries, would be a good start....for an open source library.

[psycik]

Sub already provides a popup box with a button.... and buttons and list screens etc..

[MixMan]

Just one popup button?

[psycik]

Yeah I think so, I'm sure I used that on the CDRipper

[sub]

I think the CommonGBPVRUtilities and GbpvrUiElements were class libraries these developers made back in the old GBPVR.exe days because the app didnt provide these higher level classes for developers to use in their plugins. That changed with the advent of PVRX2.exe, which provided things like buttons/lists/statics/popups and base classes for doing this type of stuff in plugins, so the use of these type of extra class libraries isnt really needed.

JavaWiz has made some extra class libraries for PVRX2.exe though, adding extra things he wanted for the plugins he was developing.

[sub]

Just one popup button?

It currently has a one or two button popup.

[psycik]

Potentially with buy in from sub is he could externalise his Graphics libraries for the UI, and developers could add to it, in the way that JavaWiz has done?? But maybe make that part open source-ish. So others can add to it and "submit" it to sub for inclusion?