The oaf_attribute tag

## The `oaf_attribute` tag

Defining servers is useful (that is what `.goad` files did light-years ago) but to use all the power of Bonobo Activation (i.e. queries ;-), you have to define `oaf_attribute`s for each of those `oaf_server` entries. An example is worth all words.

    <oaf_info>
      <oaf_server iid="OAFIID:Bonobo_Sample_Echo_Factory" type="exe"
    	      location="/usr/lib/bonobo-2.0/samples/bonobo-echo-2">
        <oaf_attribute name="repo_ids" type="stringv">
          <item value="IDL:Bonobo/GenericFactory:1.0"/>
        </oaf_attribute>
        <oaf_attribute name="name" type="string" value="Echo component factory"/>
        <oaf_attribute name="description" type="string"
                       value="Bonobo Echo server factory"/>
      </oaf_server>

      <oaf_server iid="OAFIID:Bonobo_Sample_Echo" type="factory"
    	      location="OAFIID:Bonobo_Sample_Echo_Factory">
        <oaf_attribute name="repo_ids" type="stringv">
          <item value="IDL:Demo/Echo:1.0"/>
        </oaf_attribute>
        <oaf_attribute name="name" type="string" value="Echo component"/>
        <oaf_attribute name="description" type="string"
                       value="Bonobo Echo server sample program"/>
      </oaf_server>
    </oaf_info>

Each `oaf_server` entry defines a set of attributes. Each attribute has a given name, type, and value. The types of the attributes are those defined in the Bonobo Activation query langage reference (the section called “Constants”). Type name should be non-caps.

Values of type stringv are represented as follows:

    <oaf_attribute name="repo_ids" type="stringv">
      <item value="IDL:Bonobo/Unknown:1.0"/>
      <item value="IDL:Bonobo/Control:1.0"/>
    </oaf_attribute>

All other types' values are simply in the value field.

A certain number of attributes have been normalized for GNOME. If a component uses any attribute from the list, it ought to have the meaning described here. Their list follows.

Table 1. Normalized attributes

Attribute name | Type | Signification |
repo_ids | stringv | the list of all IDL interfaces this component implements, including inherited interfaces. If `Bonobo::Unknown` is one of the interfaces, the list should include all interfaces for which a `queryInterface` operation on the component will succeed. |
description | string | a human readable string describing what the component can do |
name | string | a short name for the component, suitable for display to the end user, e.g. in a menu. |
bonobo:editable | boolean | if the component allows editing of its content | no
bonobo:supported_uri_schemes | stringv | a list of protocols this component knows how to handle. This only really makes sense if the component implements one of the following interfaces: `Bonobo::PersistFile` or `Nautilus::View` |
bonobo:supported_mime_types | stringv | a list of MIME types this component understands as input. In addition to specific MIME types, it is possible to include supertypes (e.g.“image/*” or “text/*”) or “*/*” to indicate the component can display any MIME type. Specifying “*/*” is only necessary if neither supported_uri_schemes nor additional_uri_schemes is not specified, otherwise “*/*” is assumed. This only really makes sense if the component implements one of the following interfaces: `Bonobo::PersistStream`, `Bonobo::PersistFile`, or `Nautilus::View`. |
bonobo:additional_uri_schemes | stringv | a list of protocols this component knows how to handle. The component is applicable to any URI which uses such a protocol, even if its MIME type is not among supported_mime_types. This only really makes sense if the component implements one of the following interfaces: `Bonobo::PersistFile` or `Nautilus::View` |
bonobo:moniker | stringv | FIXME |
bonobo:moniker_extender | stringv | FIXME |
nautilus:view_as_name | string | a suitable name for use as a View as name. Several labels in Nautilus will be built from this value, see the following attributes. This must be present for any Bonobo Controls that can be used as Nautilus views. |
nautilus:view_as_label | string | a label (without keyboard mnemonic) for the component's menu item in Nautilus' View as list (next to the zoom control) as well as for its entry in the Open with Other Viewer window. It defaults to “View as `name`” where `name` is the value of the view_as_name attribute. It is discouraged to rely on this fallback because it makes correct translation impossible for some languages. |
nautilus:view_as_label_with_mnemonic | string | a label (with keyboard mnemonic) for the component's menu item in Nautilus' View menu. Thus the mnemonic must not clash with one from a built-in menu item. If omitted, the value of view_as_label will be used instead. |
nautilus:viewer_label | string | a label for the component's menu item in the Open With submenu of Nautilus' context menu for files and the File menu. It defaults to “`name` Viewer” where `name` is the value of the view_as_name attribute. It is discouraged to rely on this fallback because it makes correct translation impossible for some languages. |
nautilus:required_directory_content_mime_types | stringv | if the component is to be activated on a URI with MIME type “special/directory”, it is only really applicable if the directory contains a file with one of the MIME types listed in this attribute. As before, supertypes like “audio/*” are allowed. If this attribute is omitted, “*/*” is assumed. |
nautilus:sidebar_panel_name | string | a suitable name for use as a sidebar panel label name. This must be implemented by any Bonobo Controls that can be used as a Nautilus sidebar view. |
nautilus:context_menu_handler |  |  |
nautilus:can_handle_multiple_files |  |  |
nautilus:property_page_name |  |  |
nautilusverb:`verbname` |  |  |

If bonobo:supported_uri_schemes or bonobo:additional_uri_schemes is specified but bonobo:supported_mime_types is not, it is assumed the component can handle any type of data that might come via that protocol. Some schemes may not even have an associated MIME type for any given URI, for instance `irc:` or `news:`

If bonobo:supported_mime_types is specified but bonobo:supported_uri_schemes is not, the component is assumed to be able to handle all common URI schemes (possible definition: anything gnome-vfs can handle).

If neither bonobo:supported_uri_schemes nor bonobo:additional_uri_schemes nor bonobo:supported_mime_types is specified, it is assumed the component cannot handle any data at all in a general way and should never be generically selected for such purposes.

Nautilus considers a component as a view if it can handle the data from a URI and implements the `Nautilus::View` interface or `Bonobo::Control` and `Bonobo::PersistStream` or `Bonobo::PersistFile`.