Developers

Resources

• Report Bug -- how to send good bug reports
• Tutorials -- write your own ROX applications
• Using CVS -- check out the version currently under development
• Style Guide -- writing ROX-style applications
• Architecture -- how the system works
• The Future -- stuff we're currently working on
• Release Process -- notes for release managers

Patches and feature requests

Feature requests should be sent to the rox-devel mailing list (rox-devel@lists.sourceforge.net). Once there is agreement that the feature should be added, you can add it to the feature request tracker so we don't forget! If you've changed the code in some way and you want your changes in the main distribution then you should submit a patch -- either to the rox-devel mailing list or to the sourceforge patch manager (you need to create a sourceforge user account first).

You can create patches in two ways: either use cvs diff -u (if the source is in CVS) or do a diff -urN old new. Hints on getting patches accepted:

• Before implementing a new feature, it's a good idea to ask on the mailing list to see if people want it, or if there's a better way to do it.
• I have to read and check every patch carefully. Therefore, I get around to reading small patches much sooner than large ones!
• Each patch should only change one thing. The more things you change, the more likely I won't like one of them and it won't go in. It takes a lot of time to split patches up, so I tend to put it off.
• Don't add options. The code for making a new feature optional is easy to add later if some people really object to the new behaviour.

Standards

There are various documents detailing how different bits of the desktop work:

Choices system

Describes where to load and save user preferences. The system uses no hidden files, may be used independently of ROX, and allows layers of preferences (such that user preferences override system-wide preferences and so on).

Application directories

A system for distributing applications in a form that can be run without the need to install anything. The application program remains completely self-contained.

Freedesktop.org

The X Desktop Group has links to various standards that are common to several desktops, and develops new ones. Lots of interesting work is going on here.

The X Direct Save protocol

This protocol allows the user to save by dragging data from a program to a filer. There is a test application here: http://rox.sf.net/xds.html

ROX Libraries

There are a number of libraries available for developing (and using) applications and applets for use with ROX. These include:

ROX-Lib

A Python library; provides interfaces to the Choices system, applets, drag-and-drop loading and saving, MIME support, and internationalization. ROX-Lib2 documentation on-line

ROX-CLib

Shared code which can be used by other applications. This is a C library.

RoxRuby

The ROX Ruby project aims to bring the same ease in programming for ROX as Rox-Lib to those who would rather code with Ruby.

librox-perl

A gtk2-perl port of ROX-Lib2. Currently in pre-alpha stage it supports the Choices and Options system, applets, MIME support, internationalization, and has preliminary DnD support.