2 * Copyright 2013 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
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18 * \ingroup CAPI_LIVEBOX_FRAMEWORK Tizen livebox framework
19 * \defgroup CAPI_LIVEBOX_VIEWER_MODULE Application Programming Interfaces for the viewer application
20 * \brief API for livebox viewer (widget screen, home screen, ...)
21 * \section CAPI_LIVEBOX_VIEWER_MODULE_HEADER Required Header
22 * \#include <livebox.h>
23 * \section CAPI_LIVEBOX_VIEWER_MODULE_OVERVIEW Overview
24 * Tizen(SLP) homescreen S/W framework is supporing the live box. (aka widget which is similiar with the android widget)
26 * \image html front.jpg
28 * \subsection WhatIsTheLivebox 1. What is the Livebox
29 * The live box is the widget of the TIZEN.
31 * It works as a small application displayed on other applications' (such as homescreen, lockscreen, etc ...) view.
32 * Each live box can have (not a mandatory option) a PD (progressive disclosure) in which more detailed information can be found.
33 * The content of PD can be exposed when a certain gesture (e.g., flick-down) has been applied to the live box.
34 * If you are interested in developing a livebox, there are things you should know prior to making any source code for the box.
35 * To make your live box added to any live box viewer application (e.g., live panel in our case), then you need to create and prepare
36 * controller(SO file), layout script (EDJE for a PD if necessary), configuration files.
38 * A livebox is managed by data provider, since each SO file of a livebox is loaded on and controlled by data provider using predefined ABI.
39 * A viewer will receive any livebox's content in forms of "image file", "buffer" or "text" and display the content in various formats on its window.
40 * A livebox developer needs to make sure that your live box generates desirable content in-time on a explicit update-request or periodic update.
42 * After a data provider loads a livebox's SO file, it then assigns a specific "file name" for the livebox via an argument of a livebox function.
43 * Since then the livebox just generates content using then given file name.
44 * Passing an image file (whose name is the previously given name) is the basic method for providing contents to the viewer.
45 * But if you want play animation or handles user event in real-time, you can use the buffer type.
47 * And you should prepare the content of the Progressive Disclosure.
48 * The Progressive Dislcosure is only updated by the "buffer" type. so you should prepare the layout script for it.
49 * If you didn't install any script file for progressive disclosure, the viewer will ignore the "flick down" event from your livebox.
51 * \subsubsection Livebox 1.1 Livebox
52 * Live box is a default content of your widget. It always displays on the screen and updated periodically.
53 * It looks like below captured images.
54 * \image html weather.png Weather Livebox
55 * \image html stock.png Stock Livebox
56 * \image html twitter.png Twitter Livebox
58 * \subsubsection ProgressiveDisclosure 1.2 Progressive Disclosure
59 * \image html PD.png Progressive Disclosure
60 * Progressive disclosure will be displayed when a user flicks down a livebox. (basically it depends on the implementation of the view applications)
61 * To supports this, a developer should prepare the layout script (EDJE only for the moment) of the livebox's PD. (or you can use the buffer directly)
62 * Data provider supports EDJE script but the developer can use various scripts if (which is BIG IF) their interpreters can be implemented based on evas & ecore.
64 * When a layout script has been installed, data provider can load and rendering the given layout on the buffer.
65 * The content on the buffer can be shared between applications that need to display the content on their window.
66 * Description data file is necessary to place proper content components in rendered layout.
67 * Check this page Description Data.
69 * \subsubsection ClusterCategory 1.3 What is the "cluster" and "category"
70 * The cluster and the sub-cluster is just like the grouping concept.
71 * It is used for creating/destorying your livebox instance when the data provider receives any context event from the context engine.
72 * You will only get "user,created" cluster and "default" category(sub cluster) info.
74 * \subsection LiveboxContent 2. How the livebox can draw contents for viewer?
75 * There are several ways to update the content of a livebox.
77 * \li Image file based content updating
78 * \li Description file based content updating (with the layout script file)
79 * \li Buffer based content updating
81 * Each method has specific benefit for implementing the livebox.
83 * \subsubsection ImageFormat 2.1 Via image file
84 * This is the basic method for providing content of a livebox to the viewer application.
85 * But this can be used only for the livebox. (Unavailable for the progressive disclosure).
86 * When your livebox is created, the provider will assign an unique ID for your livebox(it would be a filename).
87 * You should keep that ID until your livebox is running. The ID will be passed to you via livebox_create function.
88 * \image html image_format.png
90 * When you need to update the output of your livebox, you should generate the image file using given ID(filename).
91 * Then the data provider will recognize the event of updated output of a livebox and it will send that event to the viewer to reload it on the screen.
93 * \subsubsection ScriptFormat 2.2 Via layout script
94 * \image html script_format.png
95 * This method is supported for static layout & various contents (text & image)
96 * When you develop your livebox, first design the layout of box content using script (edje is default)
97 * Then the provider will load it to the content buffer and start rendering.
98 * After the sciprt is loaded, you can fill it using description data format.
99 * liblivebox defines description data handling functions.
101 * \subsubsection TextFormat 2.3 Via text data
102 * \image html text_format.png
103 * This is the simplified method to update the content of livebox.
104 * So your box only need to update the text data using description data format.
105 * Then the viewer will parse it to fill its screen.
106 * So there is no buffer area, just viewer decide how handles it.
108 * \subsubsection BufferFormat 2.4 Via buffer
109 * This method is very complex to implement.
110 * The provider will give a content buffer to you, then your box should render its contents on this buffer.
111 * This type is only supported for 3rd party livebox such as OSP and WEB.
112 * Inhouse(EFL) livebox is not able to use this buffer type for the box content.
114 * \subsection PackageNTools 3. How can I get the development packages or tools?
116 * \subsection DevelopLivebox 4. How can I write a new livebox
118 * \subsection TestLivebox 5. How can I test my livebox
120 * \subsection LiveboxDirectory 6. Livebox directory hierachy
121 * \image html preload_folder.png
122 * \image html download_folder.png