title: freedesktop.org specifications
lastupdated: 2008-05-19


A list of <a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications">freedesktop.org specifications</a>, and comments on whether it is
applicable to GNUstep.

<p>
Support for the specifications usually comes in two parts: generating data that
complies to the specification, and using data produced by other programs
(roughly: "producer" and "consumer").  This list tries to make the distinction
when necessary.
</p>

<div id="outline-container-1" class="outline-2">
<h2 id="sec-1">Draft specifications</h2>
<div id="text-1">

<ul>
<li id="sec-1.1"><a href="http://www.newplanetsoftware.com/xdnd/">DnD</a> (a.k.a. XDND)<br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should support both being a source and a destination
</li>
<li>
OpenStep API: <code>- (void)dragImage:...</code>, <code>- (BOOL)dragFile:...</code>,
<code>NSDraggingSource</code>, <code>NSDraggingInfo</code>, &hellip; etc.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.2"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/wm-spec">window manager specification</a> (a.k.a. EWMH)<br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should support as many hints as reasonable (see separate page on
<a href="ewmh.html">ewmh</a>)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.3"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/xembed-spec">XEmbed</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<code>NSWindow</code> should support XEmbed client (a.k.a plug)
</li>
<li>
XEmbed embedder can be supported by an extension (e.g. a "<code>GSEmbeddedView</code>"
class)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.4"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/clipboards-spec">X clipboard explanation</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should support this (producer and consumer)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.5"><a href="http://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~jch/software/UTF8_STRING">UTF8_STRING</a> (interchange of utf8-encoded strings in cut-and-paste)<br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should support this (producer and consumer)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.6"><a href="http://pyxml.sourceforge.net/topics/xbel/">XML Bookmark Exchange Language</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<i>out of scope of GNUstep</i>, but applications (WebKit, etc.) should be aware of
it
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.7"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/desktop-entry-spec">Desktop Entry specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep applications should have a properly registered Desktop Entry file
(partially implemented)
</li>
<li>
GNUstep should read Desktop Entry files for <code>NSWorkspace</code>'s <code>- (BOOL)   openFile:</code>, etc.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.8"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/menu-spec">Menu Specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<i>out of scope of GNUstep</i>, but GNUstep-based desktop environments should be
aware of it
</li>
<li>
parts of the spec affect Desktop Entry spec
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.9"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/basedir-spec">Desktop base directory spec</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<i>incompatible with GNUstep filesystem layout</i>
</li>
<li>
when gnustep-make is built with fhs support, this spec may be used
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.10"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/icon-theme-spec">Icon Theme specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
specifies a standard place for applications to put their icons
</li>
<li>
GNUstep can use this for finding icons
</li>
<li>
GNUstep can use this for its own icon theme layout, or use a symlink to
provide compatibility
</li>
<li>
GNUstep can use this to select between icon themes
</li>
<li>
<code>[(NSWorkspace) iconForFile:]</code>, etc. should use this
</li>
<li>
OpenStep API: <code>[NSImage imageNamed:]</code>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.11"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/icon-naming-spec">Icon Naming specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep can use this for naming the files in the <code>Images</code> directory, or use a symlink to provide compatibility
</li>
<li>
(see also icon theme specification)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.12"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/shared-mime-info-spec">shared MIME database</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should read the MIME database for <code>NSWorkspace</code>'s <code>- (NSString*)   typeOfFile:error:</code>, etc. ?
</li>
<li>
needs more investigation, since Apple uses <a href="http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Carbon/Conceptual/understanding_utis/understand_utis_intro/chapter_1_section_1.html">UTIs</a> for file types, instead of
MIME types
</li>
<li>
(see also desktop entry specification)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.13"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/xsettings-spec">XSETTINGS</a> (common settings such as double-click times)<br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should support this
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/xsettings">reference implementation</a>
</li>
<li>
(see also <a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/config-spec">Shared configuration system</a> <i>(in planning stage)</i>)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.14"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/direct-save">X Direct Save</a> (XDS): save files by dragging from the window to a folder<br/>
<ul>
<li>
<code>NSDraggingDestination</code> should accept this as a source
</li>
<li>
being an XDS source may be out of the scope of GNUstep, but we may be able to
provide aids for this (look into this more)
</li>
<li>
(see also XDND)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.15"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/systemtray-spec">System Tray protocol</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
Apple API: <code>NSStatusItem</code>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.16"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/recent-file-spec">Recent File specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<code>NSDocument</code> can update this the recent file list
</li>
<li>
I don't know of any OpenStep API similar to this, but this could be supported in an extension
</li>
<li>
(see also <a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/desktop-bookmark-spec">Desktop Bookmark spec</a> <i>(in planning stage)</i>)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.17"><a href="http://people.freedesktop.org/~vuntz/thumbnail-spec-cache/">Thumbnail</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<code>[(NSWorkspace) iconForFile:]</code> could use this
</li>
<li>
GNUstep file moving operations could update the thumbnail cache
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.18"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/clipboards-extension-spec">extension to ICCCM selections mechanism</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should honour <code>_NET_MAX_SELECTION_SIZE</code>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.19"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/startup-notification-spec">startup-notification-spec</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep <code>NSApplication</code> should notify when the application has finished
launching (at around the time <code>NSApplicationDidFinishLaunchingNotification</code>
is sent)
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.20"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/cursor-spec">Cursor Conventions specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
I don't know how GNUstep does its mouse cursors, so I don't know if this
applies
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.21"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/file-uri-spec">File URI specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
GNUstep should follow this wherever <code>file:</code> URIs are used
</li>
<li>
check if it conflicts with Apple's behaviour
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.22"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/clipboard-manager-spec">Clipboard Manager specification</a>: how to store clipboard data after applications quit<br/>
<ul>
<li>
I guess <code>gpbs</code> should do this sort of thing
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.23"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/trash-spec">Trash specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
I don't know of an OpenStep trash protocol.  Is this handled by file manager
applications individually?
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.24"><a href="http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Specifications/autostart-spec">Autostart specification</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
<i>out of scope of GNUstep</i>, but GNUstep-based desktop environments should be aware of this
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li id="sec-1.25"><a href="http://ghns.freedesktop.org/spec/">GHNS and DXS</a><br/>
<ul>
<li>
file sharing stuff
</li>
<li>
<i>out of scope of GNUstep</i>

</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>

</div>

<div id="outline-container-2" class="outline-2">
<h2 id="sec-2">Specifications in planning</h2>
<div id="text-2">

<p>TODO
</p></div>
</div>