[mkgmap-dev] Proposal for a task oriented mkgmap GUI

Sat Sep 5 20:35:36 BST 2009

Hi list,

since trying to create my own Garmin map, I was searching for an easy to use 
software with a GUI for Linux. After looking at the code from mkgmap I 
realized, that there is already a stub for this. So I started thinking about, 
what the GUI should do. 

In my opinion it would be great to have a task oriented "One stop shop" GUI 
for mkgmap and splitter. Similiar to the current GUI stub in mkgmap the GUI 
should be based on Swing, which could be part of mkgmap (replacing the GUI 
stub) or own project. My personal favorite is to make it part of mkgmap, 
because
- Update of GUI would be much easier, if part of mkgmap.
- Documentation of mkgmap can be reused for GUI help, by using one source.

In order to make this working, I would like to propose the following changes: 

1) mkgmap and splitter documentation moved into DocBook XML format
   The following output formats can be created easily:
	- JavaHelp for GUI
	- Text for command line
	- HTML for the homepage
	- PDF for the printer

2)	GUI is started if command line option -g or --gui or no command line option 
is given.
	- -g user-config.xml starts the GUI with a predefined configuration file.

3) Move configuration file for the mkgmap on XML basis.
	- Can be validated by XML schema.
	- Several tasks can be defined, .e.g
		- a task for splitting Germany and creating the map afterwards,
		- a task for creating the map out of rheinland-pfalz.osm.bz2 (state of 
Germany), because no splitting is needed,
		- a task for combining already created img files,
		- etc.
	- Each task can be enabled or disabled.
		- Can be used for batch mode processing of mkmap,
		- and for the GUI, which can created the configuration for the batch mode if 
needed.

I've attached an example for the XML file and the according draft of the XML 
schema, which still needs to extended.
If Steve and the rest agrees on my proposal, I would first continue with the 
XML schema and the DocBook conversion.
For the GUI itself, I would like to prepare afterwards a prototype for further 
discussion.	 

Please let me know what you think about the proposal.

Greetings,
Jörg
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