plasma-framework/Mainpage.dox

/** @mainpage Plasma libraries

libplasma is the core of the Plasma desktop.  It provides a framework of graphical
widgets (Plasma::Applet) that can be organised into managed groupings
(Plasma::Containment), such as a desktop or panel.  It also provides a data
abstraction layer (Plasma::DataEngine) and a corresponding service interaction
layer (Plasma::Service) to make implementing widgets easier and a
system of callouts (Plasma::AbstractRunner) that provide responses to queries,
from running an application to performing a quick calculation.

The <a href="http://doc.trolltech.com/latest/graphicsview.html">Qt Graphics View
framework</a> and the <a href="http://api.kde.org/4.x-api/kdelibs-apidocs/">KDE
libraries</a> provide the underpinning for libplasma.  As a result, it should
work anywhere that Qt and KDE do.

Although libplasma is developed for the use of Plasma, the new desktop shell in
KDE 4, it is general enough to be useful in other applications.
<a href="http://amarok.kde.org">Amarok</a> is already using it for its context
view, allowing for pluggable widgets to display and interact with the music
collection, such as "current track" and "tag cloud" widgets.

libplasma itself only provides a framework, and the widgets, containments,
data engines and runners are all implemented as plugins.  However, the framework
is designed to make implementing these plugins as easy as possible, including
providing scripting support.  Also, infrastructure such as a dialog to install
new widgets and even download them from the web (Plasma::AppletBrowser) is also
included.

Other important classes are:

 - Plasma::Corona: the canvas that containments are placed on
 - Plasma::View: a QWidget for displaying a containment
 - Plasma::Theme: provides theming support
 - Plasma::Animator: provides animations for things like elements appearing
   and disappearing
 - Plasma::Delegate: provides an item delegate for Qt's
   <a href="http://doc.trolltech.com/latest/model-view-programming.html">Model /
   View framework</a> for menu items.
 - Plasma::ToolTipManager: allows widgets have (themed) tooltips displayed when the
   mouse is hovered over them
 - Plasma::Dialog: displays a themed application dialog
 - Plasma::Extender: provides detachable sections to Plasma::Applet
 - Plasma::GLApplet: provides an OpneGL-rendered Plasma::Applet
 - Plasma::PackageStructure: provides descriptions of packages containing plugins
   for libplasma
 - Plasma::PopupApplet: provides a simple way of implementing a Plasma::Applet
   consisting of an icon that shows a popup when clicked
 - Plasma::Svg and Plasma::FrameSvg: provides themable, cached SVGs
 - Plasma::Wallpaper: provides pluggable backgrounds for containments
 - Plasma::AppletScript, Plasma::DataEngineScript, Plasma::RunnerScript and
   Plasma::ScriptEngine: provide scripting interfaces for plugins
 - Various themed QGraphicsWidgets for use in creating a Plasma::Applet


The
<a href="http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma">Plasma tutorials</a>
on TechBase provide a good introduction to writing plugins, such as widgets and
data engines, for libplasma-based applications.

@authors
Aaron Seigo \<aseigo@kde.org\><br>
Alessandro Diaferia \<alediaferia@gmail.com\><br>
Alex Merry \<kde@randomguy3.me.uk\><br>
Alexander Wiedenbruch \<wirr01@gmail.com\><br>
Alexis Ménard \<darktears31@gmail.com\><br>
André Duffeck \<andre@duffeck.de\><br>
Bertjan Broeksema \<b.broeksema@kdemail.net\><br>
Chris Schlaeger \<cs@kde.org\><br>
Dan Meltzer \<hydrogen@notyetimplemented.com\><br>
Fredrik Höglund \<fredrik@kde.org\><br>
Ivan Cukic \<ivan.cukic+kde@gmail.com\><br>
Jani Huhtanen \<jani.huhtanen@tut.fi\><br>
John Tapsell \<tapsell@kde.org\><br>
Jon de Andres Frias \<jondeandres@gmail.com\><br>
Kevin Ottens \<ervin@kde.org\><br>
Marco Martin \<notmart@gmail.com\><br>
Matias Valdenegro T. \<mvaldenegro@informatica.utem.cl\><br>
Matt Broadstone \<mbroadst@gmail.com\><br>
Petri Damsten \<damu@iki.fi\><br>
Rafael Fernández López \<ereslibre@kde.org\><br>
Riccardo Iaconelli  \<riccardo@kde.org\><br>
Richard J. Moore \<rich@kde.org\><br>
Robert Knight \<robertknight@gmail.com\><br>
Sebastian Kuegler \<sebas@kde.org\><br>
Siraj Razick \<siraj@kde.net\><br>
Zack Rusin \<zack@kde.org\>

@maintainers
Aaron Seigo \<aseigo@kde.org\>

@licenses
@lgpl

*/

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// DOXYGEN_SET_RECURSIVE = YES
// vim:ts=4:sw=4:expandtab:filetype=doxygen