[Pidgin] #12451: XMPP: default user directory configuration

[Pidgin]

#12451: XMPP: default user directory configuration
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 Reporter:  SgtPepper               |        Owner:  deryni
     Type:  patch                   |       Status:  new   
Milestone:  Patches Needing Review  |    Component:  XMPP  
  Version:  2.7.2                   |   Resolution:        
 Keywords:                          |  
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Old description:

> This patch satisfies [http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/12328 enhancement
> ticket #12328].
>
> It provides a user configurable option for the default server chosen for
> the "Enter a User Directory" dialog (displayed when "Search for Users..."
> is chosen from the account menu).
>
> This value is currently only pre-populated when the XMPP server responds
> to a disco#info with user directory information.  This patch allows the
> user to override this with any server of their choice.
>
> There are multiple cases where this would be tremendously useful.[[BR]]
> Two such use-cases:[[BR]]
> [[BR]]
> 1. An XMPP server does not advertise a user directory using disco#info.
> In this case (my case), the user would have to type in the user directory
> server (and remember what it is) every time they want to search for a
> user.  With this patch, they can enter it once and not worry about it
> from then on.[[BR]]
> [[BR]]
> 2. A user connects to one jabber server (that may or may not advertise a
> user directory), but typically searches for users from a different XMPP
> service.  This user would want to override the default user directory
> server to be the one they typically use so they don't have to type it in
> every time.

New description:

 This patch satisfies [http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/12328 enhancement
 ticket #12328].

 It provides a user configurable option for the default server chosen for
 the "Enter a User Directory" dialog (displayed when "Search for Users..."
 is chosen from the account menu).

 This value is currently only pre-populated when the XMPP server responds
 to a disco#info with user directory information.  This patch allows the
 user to override this with any server of their choice.

 There are multiple cases where this would be tremendously useful.[[BR]]
 Two such use-cases:[[BR]]
 [[BR]]
 1. An XMPP server does not advertise a user directory using disco#info.
 In this case (my case), the user would have to type in the user directory
 server (and remember what it is) every time they want to search for a
 user.  With this patch, they can enter it once and not worry about it from
 then on.[[BR]]
 [[BR]]
 2. A user connects to one jabber server (that may or may not advertise a
 user directory), but typically searches for users from a different XMPP
 service.  This user would want to override the default user directory
 server to be the one they typically use so they don't have to type it in
 every time.

 Thoughts?

--

Comment(by SgtPepper):

 Sorry for the delay in response.  These messages were being marked as
 spam...

 I'd be happy with any solution that doesn't require entering the server
 every time a user search is performed.  I'm currently making custom Pidgin
 builds for myself and others who find this very annoying (some of who were
 going to switch to less functional clients due to this), but I'd rather
 not need to do so indefinitely.

 However, having it based on some history mechanism would be a change in
 behavior for people that currently ''do'' receive a disco#info with user
 directory information.  Though, perhaps that is acceptable.

 Having it remember a the last server entered would work fine for the first
 use case, but it could get frustrating in the second use case: You search
 for users 99% of the time from one user directory server, but after you do
 it once on another server you have to reenter your primary directory
 server.  However, you would only have to enter it again once each time
 this happens, so it may not be a big deal.  Also, my case is the first use
 case, so I'm not going to fight terribly hard for a solution to the second
 use case if you guys aren't concerned about it.

 As far as not wanting to add another setting to the advanced tab for XMPP:
 Is it really a problem to add a fairly self-explanatory setting there that
 doesn't ''have'' to be populated?  There would be no more text fields for
 XMPP than there are for other protocols (I'm looking at Yahoo! right now,
 and it has 5 text fields - which is the same as XMPP would have with this
 field).

 Thoughts?

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/12451#comment:5>
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