Several uses for contexts (common/global variables) for skinners to use to speed up development and create a more universal and streamlined method of skinning.
Just one Example...
Goal:
Provide intelligence for AddOn navigation based on the screen/section or menu in focus.
Implementation:
Global variables that define a Context for objects such as - Menus, entire Screens (TV Shows, Movies, Weather, etc), etc
Skinner can link a Context to specific set/subset of items
- AddOn tree/subtree (Videos, Music Videos, etc)
Outcome:
User selects home screen menu, focus is on TV Shows menu ite, then navigates to the submenu item AddOns -- based on the Context provided to that menu section (TV Shows), the skin engine uses the linked provided in the contexts/xml to automatically consolidate items per the links into a single list and presents the list to the user.
Benefits:
- presents a complete, single, easy to use list to the end-user
- allows the skinner to set contexts/links/lists in one place and not need to specify in the skin at each menu/submenu/screen specific links, just include the context.
Just one Example...
Goal:
Provide intelligence for AddOn navigation based on the screen/section or menu in focus.
Implementation:
Global variables that define a Context for objects such as - Menus, entire Screens (TV Shows, Movies, Weather, etc), etc
Skinner can link a Context to specific set/subset of items
- AddOn tree/subtree (Videos, Music Videos, etc)
Outcome:
User selects home screen menu, focus is on TV Shows menu ite, then navigates to the submenu item AddOns -- based on the Context provided to that menu section (TV Shows), the skin engine uses the linked provided in the contexts/xml to automatically consolidate items per the links into a single list and presents the list to the user.
Benefits:
- presents a complete, single, easy to use list to the end-user
- allows the skinner to set contexts/links/lists in one place and not need to specify in the skin at each menu/submenu/screen specific links, just include the context.
