New file type handling

[Gabriel Bauman <gabe bravenet com>]

Hello,

I just moved to 2.7.4 and I have some issues with the new Nautilus-based
MIME stuff. I hope this is the right place to comment.

The new system allows you to set the system-wide handler for a file type
from any file property box. Why on earth would setting a handler for
"file1.png" set the default PNG handler for the entire system? That
property box is the FILE's property box. Global config actions don't
belong there, even if they're clearly labeled as such. 

It seems to me that the file types capplet needed to be rethought and
simplified, not eliminated.

In my view, the capplet would ideally present a list of applications.
Clicking an application would expand it and show a list of mime types
the application can handle. If the application was the default handler
for a type, the type would be presented in bold. Selecting a type and
clicking a "Make this app the default handler for this type"  button
would cause the selected application to become the default handler for
the selected type. An "add handled type to this app" button would pop a
dialog allowing the user to choose from a list of unhandled mime types
or type a new one, thus specifying that the selected app can handle
another type. An "Add application" button would do the obvious.

In this system, to change AppX to the default handler for FOO files, the
user would open the capplet, click AppX, click the type, and click "Make
default handler." Simple and intuitive, and we avoid digging through
trees of mime types.

I am working on a mockup to demonstrate this.

A separate capplet could manage things like mapping file extensions to
mime types, assigning mime-magic sniffer rules to mime types, etc.

I'm sure this has been discussed previously at length, so my apologies
if this kind of arrangement has already been considered and discarded.

==
Gabriel Bauman