This is a design document. Many of the details have to be worked out with the developers who will actually create the functionality.

Author: infinite.loop

Overview

Extensions are a crucial part of MediaPortal. We have done great enhancements over the years to enhance the usability - especially with the MPE file format.

Now it is time to take the next step and bring this basic functionality to a completely new level.

This will require that every area of MediaPortal Extensions is looked at and partly gets fundamentally reworked.

Components/Areas:

Repository

The Repository on our homepage stores extensions. It is basically in a good shape, yet it does lack a few features that we need to add in order o increase the end-user experience.

Extension Management

We currently have 2 stand alone tools ("MPE Installer" and the "MPE Maker") plus the "Extensions" GUI plugin for MediaPortal to manage extensions. All 3 have major disadvantages which can only be resolved by major code changes. This is the biggest part of the rework.

MPEM

We need one stand alone management tool (called *M*edia*P*ortal *E*xtensions *M*anager in this design document) that allows the user to perform all extension related tasks in one GUI.

MPEM must be available in Singleseat, Multiseat Client and dedicated TV-Server installations.

Extensions Plugin

For the integration into the MediaPortal UI, we need to take care about Windows User Account Control (UAC). Currently, when trying to install or update a plugin from inside the "Extensions" MediaPortal plugin, a UAC dialog window is opened. This is very bad for the user experience and must be prevented. Simply advising the users to turn off UAC is not going to happen as this would be security suicide.

Plugin Skin Compatibility Check

Another point in Extension Management is to find out if the plugin you are about to install, or update, is actually supported by the currently active skin.

Many times users install a new version of a plugin only to find out that their skin does not support the new version and no (easy) way to downgrade because the new version of the plugin has updated the database as well.

The idea is to have information provided by plugins and skins, to show the user if that plugin will: not work at all, work with limited functionality, or will work perfectly - with the user's skin

Who will code these reworks?

The point of this design document is to find interested, skilled and dedicated people who want to get those changes done.

Currently there is no developer taking care about the points that I wrote about.