[vlc-devel] Re: [RFC] Playlists

[Stephan Assmus]

Hello,

first of all, I agree that aspects of the VLC API can be improved, 
especially the playlist (see my other mail). However, as a developer of 
a specific interface (BeOS), I would like to concentrate on that 
platform only. I would like to try and make VLC feel as integrated as 
possible to a BeOS user. That might involve handling things differently 
compared to other VLC supported platforms. Therefor, if VLC is only 
exposing a high-level API that is too limiting, I might have a hard 
time accomplishing that. A "perfect" API provides the most low-level 
routines plus routines built on top of them implementing re-usable 
"high-level" functionality. For example, the playlist "low-level" API 
could consist of just three or four functions to add, remove and 
traverse the items in the playlist. Then, there could be a higher level 
API build on top of that. It could include functions to empty the whole 
playlist, reverse the order of items and stuff like that, it could also 
handle creating and deletion of items plus the stuff that goes along 
with it (ie what happens if the playing item is deleted). It could be 
argued, if a routine to save and load playlist in the core API is 
reasonable. Maybe on BeOS, there is an established format that I want 
to stay compatible with, but no one cares outside of BeOS. This is just 
one example. So to sum this up, I vote for an API that builds onto 
itself by providing low-level and higher level calls that combine 
functionality already provided by the low-level calls.

BTW, I agree to what was written about "channels". I view them as 
"available inputs", that vlc offers to put into a playlist. Please 
correct me, if you ment something else.

Best regards,
-Stephan

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