Re: CFC: Attaching 'extras' to the intent payload

I like the way A as an optional parameter :)

2012/3/6 Rick Byers <rbyers@google.com>

> +1 to an extra optional additional parameter.
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 10:22 PM, timeless <timeless@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> You can use "optional dict extras" for A to address Rachel's concern...
>>
>> With that, I favor A
>>
>> On 3/5/12, Rachel Blum <groby@google.com> wrote:
>> > Initial reaction is C) It is almost identical to A), except that intents
>> > without extras don't need an extra parameter.
>> >
>> > I'm not to fond of B), since it replicates a dictionary-like API on a
>> > non-dictionary object.
>> >
>> > Rachel
>> > On Mar 5, 2012 1:54 PM, "James Hawkins" <jhawkins@google.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> TL;DR - We need a method to set extra data on the intent payload.
>>  Ideas?
>> >>
>> >> For several use cases, extra data which augments the payload needs to
>> >> be passed either to or from the client.  For example a picker which
>> >> returns files may want to pass along the filename of the picked file.
>> >>
>> >> There are several ways to augment the API to allow providing extras.
>> >> Let's go over constraints first:
>> >> * Must be allowed to pass several extras.
>> >> * It follows from above that the extras must be named.
>> >>   - We could impose ordering in an array as a solution, but that is
>> >> extremely fragile!
>> >>
>> >> >From the constraints it's clear we need a dictionary for extras.
>> >> Android Intents agrees and uses a 'Bundle', which is "a mapping from
>> >> String values to various Parcelable types."  Different parlance, same
>> >> concept.
>> >>
>> >> Android
>> >> ======
>> >>
>> >> >From the Android Intents spec:
>> >>
>> >>   Intent putExtra(String name, [type] value);
>> >>
>> >> putExtra is overloaded for each native [type], e.g., double, int,
>> >> Bundle, Parcelable, etc.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Possible Solutions
>> >> ==============
>> >>
>> >> A) Add an |extras| parameter to the Intent constructor:
>> >>
>> >> Currently:
>> >>  [Constructor(in string action, in string type, in any data) raises
>> >> DOMException]
>> >>
>> >> Modified:
>> >>  [Constructor(in string action, in string type, in any data, in
>> >> Dictionary extras) raises DOMException]
>> >>
>> >> e.g.,
>> >>
>> >>  var dict = {filename: 'image.png', size: 20000};
>> >>  var intent = new Intent('http://webintents.org/save', 'image/png',
>> >> imageData, dict);
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> B) Add a method to set an extra on Intent:
>> >>
>> >>  interface Intent {
>> >>    ...
>> >>    void setExtra(DOMString name, any value);
>> >>  }
>> >>
>> >> e.g.,
>> >>
>> >>  var intent = new Intent('http://webintents.org/save', 'image/png',
>> >> imageData);
>> >>  intent.setExtra('filename', 'image.png');
>> >>  intent.setExtra('size', 20000);
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> C) Add a method to set the entire |extras| dictionary on Intent:
>> >>
>> >>  interface Intent {
>> >>    ...
>> >>    void setExtras(Dictionary extras);
>> >>  }
>> >>
>> >> e.g.,
>> >>
>> >>  var intent = new Intent('http://webintents.org/save', 'image/png',
>> >> imageData);
>> >>
>> >>  var dict = {filename: 'image.png', size: 20000};
>> >>  intent.setExtras(dict);
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> What are your thoughts, preferences, anecdotal evidence?  I'd love to
>> >> hear your feedback on the issue.  Any other methods than those I
>> >> listed?
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >> James
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>>
>> --
>> Sent from my mobile device
>>
>>
>