Plugin Interface

[rprouse]

A plugin interface for BlogDesk would be cool, then developers could add additional functionality. Depending on how the code is laid out, it shouldn't be to hard to add. The steps would probably be something like;

1. BlogDesk searches plugin directories for DLLs
2. For each DLL found, load DLL. DLL must implement a pre-defined interface
3. BlogDesk calls initialize method in DLL passing in an application object that the DLL can store and use later to get access to posts, configuration, etc.
4. BlogDesk calls a get menu items method that returns items to be added to the plugin menu and pointers to the methods to call when those methods are clicked.
5. User clicks on a menu item, call is made into the DLL

The biggest problem would be creating the application interfaces to give to the plugin. Interfaces like IBlogDesk, IPost, etc would need to be created exposing the functionality that you wish to expose to plugins. You could simplify this though and just allow plugins to do one thing, a menu call just returns text to insert into a post, or plugins only have access to a post object.

What sort of plugins would be created? I would love to see an Amazon plugin that allows you to search on Amazon for a book and insert it along with an affiliate ID into a post as either an image or a link. Other plugins could allow you to insert links from your bookmarks, import documents in other formats, etc.

Anyone else have ideas for worthy plugins? If there are not enough ideas, then it probably isn't worth the effort ;)

[Johannes]

Anyone else have ideas for worthy plugins?

Don't worry, there are enough ideas - what's missing is time/money to implement them.

[rprouse]

I understand wholeheartedly. I'm a developer too and between my day job, other contracts and a busy life, very little time is left for my opensource/freeware projects. My idea is partly a possible solution for that though as it would allow others (like me) to help you out without you having to release the source.

Thanks for a great application though, my wife and I really appreciate it.