path: root/doc/manifest-old.qdoc

// Copyright (C) 2021 The Qt Company Ltd.
// Copyright (C) 2019 Luxoft Sweden AB
// Copyright (C) 2018 Pelagicore AG
// SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Qt-Commercial OR GFDL-1.3-no-invariants-only

/*!

\page manifest-old.html
\keyword info.yaml metadata manifest format
\title Manifest Definition (pre 5.14)

\note This page describes the old metadata format (\c am-application, version \c 1) that was used
      up until 5.14. For the current format, please see \l{Manifest Definition}{here}. The 5.14
      application manager is still able to parse the old format, but \l{Alias Manifests} are not
      supported anymore.

\section1 Overview

The package manifest or metadata file, \c info.yaml, is a \l {YAML syntax}
{YAML file following the same rules} as all the other YAML files used in the application manager.

While the application manager can support other file formats, such as XML, currently the only
metadata loader implemented is based on YAML.

Dynamically installed applications are described by a single \c info.yaml file, in their root
directory. Built-in applications, that are shipped as part of the System UI can optionally have
multiple aliases. This behavior is similar to a Microsoft Windows shortcut, where you can start
the same program using a different icon, name, and command line arguments. These files have to be
in the same folder as the application's basic \c info.yaml file and need to be named
\c info-<descriptive name>.yaml. See \l{Alias Manifests}{below} for a description of these alias
manifests.

\section1 Basic Manifest

This is an example of a full-featured \c info.yaml file, that also shows how you can mix and match
classic YAML and JSON style in YAML 1.1 documents:

\badcode
%YAML 1.1
---
formatVersion: 1
formatType: am-application
---
id: 'com.pelagicore.radio'
icon: 'FM-Radio.png'
name:
  en: "FM Radio"
  de: "UKW-Rundfunk"
code: "radio.qml"

runtime: qml
runtimeParameters: { quitTime: 100 }
documentUrl: "fm"

mimeTypes: [ "x-scheme-handler/x-radio" ]

capabilities:
- cameraAccess
- locationAccess

version: '1.2.1-alpha3'

\endcode

The fields within the \c info.yaml file header (first YAML document) are as follows:

\table
\header
    \li Field Name
    \li Type
    \li Description
\row
    \li \c formatVersion
    \li int
    \li \e Required. Currently always \c 1.
\row
    \li \c formatType
    \li string
    \li \e Required. Always \c am-application.
\endtable

The fields within the \c info.yaml manifest data (second YAML document) are as follows:

\table
\header
    \li Field Name
    \li Type
    \li Description
\row
    \li \c id
    \li string
    \li The unique ID of an application represented as a string with a maximum length of 150
        characters. This ID can be used to look up information about the application in the
        \l{ApplicationModel}{ApplicationModel QML Type}. Since this ID is used in the file system, only a subset of
        the printable ASCII characters are allowed: \c{0-9}, \c{a-z}, \c{A-Z} as well as any of
        \c{!#$%&'`^~_+-=.,;()[]{}}. If you are building a larger system with third party
        applications, it is good practice to use reverse DNS notation for the application IDs to
        help keep track of your IDs in the long run. The helper function
        \l{PackageManager::validateDnsName} can help you to enforce this policy from the
        System UI.
\row
    \li \c icon
    \li string
    \li \e Required. The icon's file name. The file must be located in the same directory as
        \c info.yaml and can be in any image format that Qt supports.
\row
    \li \c name
    \li object
    \target application-name-map
    \li \e Required. An object containing language (\c string) to display name (\c string)
        mappings. The language identifiers need to adhere to the standard POSIX locale definition.
        For more information, see \l{QLocale}. At least one mapping needs to be present. However,
        it is good practice to supply the English (\c en) mapping, at least, as a fallback.
\row
    \li \c code
    \li string
    \li \e Required. The main executable - interpreted by the \c runtime.
\row
    \li \c categories
    \li array<string>
    \li The list of category names the application should be associated with. This is mainly for
        the automated app-store uploads as well as displaying the application within a fixed set
        of categories in the System UI.
\row
    \li \c runtime
    \li string
    \li \e Required. A runtime ID, referencing a runtime plugin. Currently, \c qml,
        \c qml-inprocess, and \c native are supported.

        For the QML runtimes, the \c code field needs to point to the main QML file, which should
        have an ApplicationManagerWindow as a root item.

        For the native runtime, the \c code field can point to an arbitrary executable, which is
        executed via QProcess::start(). The application manager will run the application with the
        environment variable \c QT_QPA_PLATFORM set to \c wayland.

        \note The application is expected to be a valid Wayland client.
\row
    \li \c runtimeParameters
    \li object
    \li This object can contain \c runtime specific parameters - those are directly handed down to
        the runtime plugin by the application manager.

        See \l{runtime-parameters-details}{runtime parameters} for a full list.
\row
    \li \c environmentVariables
    \li object
    \li \e Deprecated; moved to \l{runtime-parameters-details}{runtime parameters}.
\row
    \li \c documentUrl
    \li string
    \li An optional default document URL to use if the application is started without
        specifying a document URL (see \l{ApplicationManager::startApplication}).
\row
    \li \c supportsApplicationInterface
    \li bool
    \li If set to \c true the application must implement the \l ApplicationInterface API.
        In this case the application manager will wait until the application is connected to the
        ApplicationInterface on the P2P D-Bus until it marks it as 'running'. For runtimes that
        support quick launching (like the \c qml runtime) this is not required as it defaults to
        \c true. Otherwise the default is \c false.
\row
    \li \c mimeTypes
    \li array<string>
    \target mimeTypes field
    \li An optional array of MIME types the application can handle. The application manager
        supports the classic file name or content to MIME type matching, as well as URL scheme
        matching. For more information, see \l{ApplicationManager::openUrl}.
\row
    \li \c capabilities
    \li array<string>
    \li An optional, platform specific list of special access rights for the application. Later,
        the middleware can query these capabilities and verify them, via the application manager.

        \note The application manager itself does not attach any meaning to this list of strings.
              Instead, the application manager acts as a trustee between the (digitally signed)
              application manifest and the (customer specific) middleware; this middleware may
              require more information about the application it's communicating with and the
              application manager can act as a trusted source of application \e capabilities.
\row
    \li \c version
    \li string
    \li The version of the application as a string.
\row
    \li \c opengl
    \li object
    \li Gives you the possibility to specify the required OpenGL version and/or profile. For more
        information, see \l{OpenGL Specification}.
        \note Specifying an OpenGL configuration that is different from the default OpenGL
              configuration in the main application manager configuration, disables the use of
              the quick-launch mechanism for this application.
\row
    \li \c applicationProperties
    \li object
    \li Exports user-defined properties (key/value pairs) to the application and the System UI. The
        actual properties must be listed under the \c private and \c protected access control
        tag; other properties are ignored. These properties are exposed as
        ApplicationManager::application() to the System UI and as
        ApplicationInterface::applicationProperties to the QML application:
        \list
        \li The application has access to private and protected properties. Private keys overwrite
            identical protected ones.
        \li The System UI has access to protected properties only.
        \endlist
        While the properties are converted to QVariantMaps, the application manager won't interpret
        them in any way.
\row
    \li \c logging/dlt/id
    \li string
    \li If provided, this value is used as the automotive DLT application ID. The ID is limited to
        four characters, additional characters are discarded. If an ID is not provided, it defaults
        to 'A' followed by a three digit application number.

        \note For QML runtimes, the ID is "PCLQ" from the very start of the application process,
              until you change it as described.
\row
    \li \c logging/dlt/description
    \li string
    \li If provided, it is used as the automotive DLT application description, which allows to
        augment the short DLT application ID with a more verbose description. If not explicitly
        provided, a default description is used.
\row
    \li \c importance
    \li real
    \li \e Deprecated. Use \c applicationProperties instead.
\row
    \li \c backgroundMode
    \li string
    \li \e Deprecated. Use \c applicationProperties instead.
\endtable


\target runtime-parameters-details
The \c runtimeParameters are specific to the runtimes, so the table below has an additional column
that specifies which runtime a configuration option applies to:

\table
\header
    \li Name
    \li Runtimes
    \li Type
    \li Description
\row
    \li \c loadDummyData
    \li qml, qml-in-process
    \li bool
    \li Deprecated. Automatically load dummy data for the application, using the same algorithm as
        Qt's \c qmlscene and \c qml tools. By default no dummy data is loaded.
\row
    \li \c importPaths
    \li qml, qml-in-process
    \li array<string>
    \li A list of paths to add to the QML-engine's import paths. Use of this parameter is
        equivalent to setting \c QML2_IMPORT_PATH for a program started from the command line.
\row
    \li \c resources
    \li qml, qml-in-process
    \li array<string>
    \li Takes a list of \l{The Qt Resource System}{Qt resource} files (.rcc) or libraries that have
        resources \l{Resource Collection Files}{compiled-in} and registers them within the application
        process. Resources can be accessed with the ":" or "qrc://" file path prefix.
\row
    \li \c pluginPaths
    \li qml, qml-in-process
    \li array<string>
    \li A list of paths to add to Qt's library paths, which are used to find plugins. Use of this
        parameter is equivalent to setting \c QT_PLUGIN_PATH for a program started from the command
        line.
\row
    \li \c arguments
    \li native
    \li array<string>
    \li A list of command line parameters to use when starting the application's executable.
\row
    \li \c environmentVariables
    \li native, qml
    \li object
    \li A simple string-to-string map, describing the environment variables that should be set when
        spawning the runtime process. You can remove a variable from the default environment by
        setting it to \c null.

        \note This feature is meant for development and demos only, as it has the following
              limitations and side-effects:
        \list
        \li These variables are completely ignored, if you are running the application manager
            with security checks enabled.
        \li Setting these variables disables the use of the quick launch mechanism for this
            application.
        \endlist
\endtable

\section1 Alias Manifests

\note This page describes the old metadata format (\c am-application, version \c 1) that was used
      up until 5.14. For the current format, please see \l{Manifest Definition}{here}. The 5.14
      application manager is still able to parse the old format, but \l{Alias Manifests} are not
      supported anymore.

This is an example of an alias manifest, \c info-am.yaml, for the \c info.yaml file in the
\l{Basic Manifest}. This way, you can have one single tuner application \c radio.qml running,
that can be started using two different entries, both with different text and icons, in the
application launcher.

\badcode
%YAML 1.1
---
formatVersion: 1
formatType: am-application-alias
---
aliasId: 'com.pelagicore.radio@am'
icon: 'AM-Radio.png'
name:
  en: "AM Radio"
  de: "Langwellenrundfunk"

documentUrl: "x-radio://am"

\endcode

If you start an alias while the application is already running, it does not start another instance.
Only if a \c documentUrl is set, then does the instance currently running receive the
\l{ApplicationInterface::openDocument} signal, that contains the respective strings that
were set via the \c documentUrl parameter. Then, the application can change its UI accordingly.
The alias manifests have to be in the same folder as the application's \c info.yaml file and
must be named \c info-<descriptive name>.yaml.

The meaning of the fields within the \c info-am.yaml file header (first YAML document) is as
follows:

\table
\header
    \li Field Name
    \li Type
    \li Description
\row
    \li \c formatVersion
    \li int
    \li \e Required. Currently always \c 1.
\row
    \li \c formatType
    \li string
    \li \e Required. Always \c am-application-alias.
\endtable

The meaning of the fields within the alias manifest data (second YAML document) is as follows:

\table
\header
    \li Field Name
    \li Type
    \li Description
\row
    \li \c aliasId
    \li string
    \li \e Required. The unique ID for the base application, followed by the \c{@} sign and a
        unique tag for this alias. This tag has the same character restrictions as the main
        application ID. See the \c id field in \l{Basic Manifest}.
\row
    \li \c icon
    \li string
    \li \e Required. See the \c icon field in \l{Basic Manifest}.
\row
    \li \c name
    \li object
    \li \e Required. See the \c name field in \l{Basic Manifest}.
\row
    \li \c documentUrl
    \li string
    \li See the \c documentUrl in \l{Basic Manifest}.
\endtable

*/