Re: Display schemas

[Stuart Booth]

On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 15:46:28 -0000, "Ian Bird" <<a
href="/group/xAP_developer/post?postID=76ctXzlBgto_bhLO_b-3e-W6IIahoHH_OEmlly6fmad7BWuGqzfWptcDwg3Wdohglkpli9w0a1cYQ-h1">ian.bird@t...</a>>
wrote:

>As some of you know I am working on an embedded solution called
>a 'menu controller' at the moment. One of the tasks I would like it
>to do is display the data you are talking about with the xAP TV
>application i.e. now and next on TV but on a demand basis not a push
>from the server. So, you might select from the menu
>system 'House/Lounge/TV/Now and next' and it would send a xAP
>request for the data which would then get displayed. Has anyone
>thought about this scenario and does the TV app support this sort of
>request model? If not can it potentially?

Those are both queries for James, but speaking from my own
preferences, I'd vote for that too. I think being able to publish
(push) timely information goes hand in hand with providing it on
demand (pull) basis.

I do it in the POP3 Mailbox Monitor xAPp and the SliMP3 Connector and
really like the flexibility it offers in terms of getting data if you
missed the last update broadcast.

>Secondly and possibly a separate topic
>Is there a way of identifying xAP messages that float about the
>network as ones that hold data destined for a display?

That would be the message class in the message header e.g.
xAP-OSD.Display.

> This might be
>a bit of an open question but I am thinking here of my menu device
>acting as a display when not in use for selecting something from the
>menu structure.

I know that Kevin's described some entertaining display setups to me
that he uses. I reckon this is a great plan as any display device can
serve multiple functions, and cool/useful (* delete as applicable)
display 'packages' can be installed onto the device for when it's in
'general' mode.

These might include such items as:
- clock
- temperature readings
- email mailbox statistics
- caller ID information
- ToDo lists
- .... a combination of some of these
- etc

> It would be really nice if it could eves drop on say,
>messages for a Slimp3 and display them but not necessarily have
>knowledge of the slimp schema (if there is one). I think I remember
>talk of a display schema - is this is what is used and somehow the
>data is tweaked so it fits a slimp?

The Slim display schema is very Slim oriented, in that it offers 2
lines, of any length (since the Slim supports scrolling text), and
L/R/C alignment. Oh, and the message block specifically names it.

There is a more generalised Display schema but to my knowledge it
hasn't been implemented in any way for anything. I've certainly not
had a chance to try it out. Is that a ToDo List flying over my head at
the moment? Oh yes, there's this item on it... ;-)

> Mine is likely to be a 6 lines by 21 characters LCD display.

We'd probably want a more generalised schema that describes the data
and lets the device format it as it can. Or maybe the device could
describe its capabilities. Thinking out loud, not really got to this
one yet. I tend to have so many items on the go that I find myself
focussing on a problem when I specifically need it for something.

S
--
Stuart Booth <<a
href="/group/xAP_developer/post?postID=mZhyIqXepXZEwHpJEvDhN_GZjWwRmil7jM437yzktxgR6F4LsawL1YGtm6JyifmFIqfCjIrdqDPQLuzcrwY">stuart@x...</a>>
xAPFramework.net - a xAP software development framework for .net

<a href="http://www.xapautomation.org/";>http://www.xapautomation.org/</a>
<a href="http://www.xapframework.net/";>http://www.xapframework.net/</a>