TODO update

[barry.git] / TODO

This file contains features that need work.  If you wish to tackle
any of them, please post a quick message to the mailing list of your
intentions, in order to avoid duplication of effort.

If you would like help or more information on any of these items,
please ask on the mailing list as well.

- Chris
<cdfrey@foursquare.net>


Next Release Checklist (- todo, + done, x skipped)
==============================================================================
Target: release version 0.15
        - finish javaloader support, implementing all known commands
                + write COD to device
                + list
                + set time
                - device-info
                - screenshot
                - is there a way to delete COD files too?
        - polish up bfuse, and add feature to split out fields
        - add record classes for Content Store, SMS Messages, based on
                Martin Owens' doc/barry-research.ods
        - test and fix all build and functionality issues on:
                - Fedora 10
                - Ubuntu 8.10
                - Debian lenny and unstable
                        - see sknauert's email
                - openSUSE 11.1
                        - see mailing list reports
        - catchup on sourceforge tracker items
        - document modem HOWTO for FreeBSD (see Bill Paul's emails)
        - review all website documentation before release
        - make sure all manpages are up to date, including bjavaloader

Target: release version 0.16
        - port opensync plugin to 0.4x




General Features
==============================================================================

Add support for the Blackberry Storm
------------------------------------
The new Blackberry Storm, model 9530, appears to have a different database
protocol.  This will likely be an ongoing effort to add support for this
device, or at least find a way to use the old protocol with it.

Search the mailing list archives for "Storm" or "9530".


Look into password support in the OpenSync framework
----------------------------------------------------
Currently, if a Blackberry uses a password, in order to sync it,
you need to store the password in plaintext in the sync configuration.
This is less than ideal.

Ideally, opensync should prompt for the password, so that this is a
part of the user interface.  Someone needs to research OpenSync, and if
there is support for passwords in the plugin API, implement it for Barry


Reverse engineer date/time functions
------------------------------------
The date/time calculations in src/time.cc:Message2Time() are still not
completely understood.  There is an explanation of sorts in an email
from Brian Edginton on the mailing list, but there are odd constants, etc.
Need to understand it fully and document it.

Mail from Brian Edginton on the topic:
http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=200706291619.05854.edge%40edginton.net


Fix GUI configure script to run a check for libtar
--------------------------------------------------
Currently, the autoconf scripts only take an argument on the command line
for the location of libtar, and assumes its location otherwise.
There should be an actual test for this, that tries linking against
libtar, and stops the configure script if not available.


An automated test suite
-----------------------
Testing Barry will be a challenge, since an actual device is required
for a large bulk of tests.  Ideally, it should be easy for someone to
make a full backup of their device, donate it to science, and then
restore their settings and data, since not everyone has a pure device
for testing.

Things that need automated testing:

        - test all possible compile options (finished, see test/)
        - test parsing of all supported records
        - test building of all supported records
        - test backup and restore, of random sets of databases, as well
                as the "all databases" set
        - test LDAP / LDIF conversions
        - test test Boost serialization backups and restore
        - make sure it is possible to create records with the same
                SHA1 sums, purely programmatically
        - test syncing of all fields, including international data / charsets
        - test password support, and password safety catch (bad passwd X times)
        - test modem functionality

Estimated time: open ended



Flesh out the Troubleshooting web doc
-------------------------------------
Every stumbling block that users run into should either be fixed
in the code or binary package, or documented in a Troubleshooting
document.  This troubleshooting document is already started, but
contributions are welcome from all users!



Porting opensync plugin to opensync 0.40
----------------------------------------
There's two options to this item:

        - simple way
        - proper way

The difference between opensync 0.22 and 0.40 involves some API changes.
You should be able to note the changes in the example plugin code once
0.40 is released.

The simple way involves merely updating Barry's opensync plugin to match
the new API.  This shouldn't be too difficult, but you may run across
some small surprises.

The proper way involves:

        - switching from the vcard/vevent formats to the opensync XML
                formats
        - switching from storing state information in text files to
                storing it in the built in database (optional)
        - making use of the new opensync time APIs to properly support
                timezones for all time operations

Switching away from text based vcard and vevent formats will remove
the burden of raw data parsing and formatting from the plugin itself,
and make use of the more tested opensync library.  Any bugs fixed
in opensync's parsers will automatically fix bugs in the Barry plugin.

Switching state storage formats may allow for greater flexibility
in supporting multiple devices.  This needs more research, but it
is the "way things are done" in opensync, and likely worth moving
in that direction.

Support for timezones will likely stress the opensync API as well as
the Barry API, but definitely needs to be done for completeness on both
sides of the equation.

Estimated time:   simple way: 10 hours if lucky
                  proper way: open ended



Adding support for Tasks database to opensync plugin
----------------------------------------------------
This will require research into the proper vformat for tasks.  If
the above port to 0.40 is complete, then use the XML format.  If not,
then find the appropriate v-format.

Estimated time: 16 hours
Depending on: ideally, wait for 0.40 XML format support



Adding support for Memos (notes) to opensync plugin
---------------------------------------------------
Same as above, for Tasks.  If done together, may be able to save some time.

Estimated time: 16 hours
Depending on: ideally, wait for 0.40 XML format support



Adding support for recurring calendar items to opensync plugin
--------------------------------------------------------------
See vCalendar::RecurToBarryCal() in the opensync sources, and compare
with RecurToVCal().  See also iCal format RFC's.
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2445



Reverse engineering java loader protocol
----------------------------------------
This has not been done by any opensource Blackberry project out there,
to my knowledge, and would be most useful to Blackberry application
developers.

If you are a Blackberry app developer, this may interest you.

Estimated time: open ended



Multi-program Database and Modem Access
---------------------------------------
The architectural challenge:

        As Barry is not a single application, how do you access the
        database while pppob is using the modem?

There are two viable ways of dealing with this.  One involves placing
a (hopefully thin) driver in the kernel, and the other involves using
a daemon and RPC calls.

My preference is to implement this using RPC calls if needed, and hammer
out all the implementation details in user space.  Once they are well
understood, a smaller kernel driver hook may be more easily written
that supports routing messages according to socket or application
needs.  For example, one application may register an interest in
database messages, another in javaloader messages, and another in the
multiple modem socket messages.

There is currently no support for this RPC daemon, but threading
support already exists.

Estimated tasks:
        - design suitable RPC system
        - implement support in the Barry library so it works
                with and without a daemon, using the same API
Estimated time: open ended



Add bluetooth serial support
----------------------------
It is reported that it is possible to access the database through
Bluetooth using the older Blackberry serial protocol.  XmBlackBerry
has support for this and may be used as a reference.

The goal here would be to hide the bluetooth access behind the
same Barry library API, so that syncing with the opensync plugin
would be seamless whether plugged in via USB or Bluetooth.

Estimated tasks:
        - research and design serial protocol stack to reuse as much
                library code as possible
Estimated time: unknown



Add internationalization (i18n) support to the backup GUI and tools
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Translations are needed for the GUI and command line tool prompts, as
well as support in the code for this translation.

Estimated tasks:
        - update the code to support i18n
        - translate to languages of interest

Estimated time: unknown



Write simple GUI for streamlining sync setup and action
-------------------------------------------------------
Syncing setup and operation is currently a tedious, complicated task.
A GUI that performed all the detailed setup and configuration work,
for a Blackberry-specific sync, using opensync libraries and plugins
for Evolution, Sunbird, etc, would be very helpful.

This would be much easier for an experienced GUI programmer, but there is
a learning curve for the opensync API.

Estimated tasks:
        - document the settings required for Blackberry, and
                all intended plugins required
        - write application that:
                - does the opensync configuration through the opensync
                        API directly
                - scans the USB bus for available Blackberry devices using
                        Barry
                - lives in the system tray watching for Blackberry devices
        - if aiming for super ease of use, script a source build of
                all needed opensync components and install in private
                area to avoid conflict with system
Estimated time: unknown
Note: Depending how fast HAL, OpenSync, and Conduit are implemented,
        this may never be needed... but if it existed today, there's a
        lot of users who would be very happy...



Document the USB protocol
-------------------------
Currently the only english documentation for the Blackberry protocol
is the webpage by the Cassis project (found at
http://off.net/cassis/protocol-description.html).

The USB protocol is not nearly so well documented.  The best documentation
available can be found in the Barry header files: protocol.h and
protostructs.h.

Translating the code into documentation (into a wiki, that will hopefully
soon be available) is a great way to get involved in the project and
learn a lot about the Blackberry from a low level.

Unfortunately, Jedi mind tricks don't often work when trying to convince
people to write documentation for me... :-)

Estimated tasks:
        - write, write, write
Estimated time: 40 hours (documentation expands to fill available time...)



Code cleanup
------------
Code can always be improved.  There are two big ways to help:

        - write an application using the Barry library
        - improve the Barry library itself and send patches

By writing an application, you can provide crucial feedback on the ease
of use of the Barry API.  I'm very eager for such feedback.

Secondly, there is currently a lot of code ducplication in the record
classes, and a careful refactoring is required.  I would be open to a class
hierarchy, with possibly private or protected inheritance.  My primary
concern is object safety when using the record classes as objects in
STL containers, with a secondary concern to make it easier to
abstractly work with a record.  This implies a careful mix of
virtual functions and a generic record base class.  Patches in this
area will be thoughtfully considered.

Estimated tasks (refactoring):
        - design safe hierarchy
        - move common code to base class
        - make sure all record classes use the common record API
        - test
Estimated time: 7 hours



C API wrapper
-------------
For those that write applications in C, a C API wrapper has been started
in the cbarry.h header.  It has not yet been implemented, but should be
straightforward.

Estimated tasks:
        - finish some API design work (head not fully complete)
        - implement all functions (about 50)
        - write test application, or test suite, for C API
Estimated time: unknown



Python wrappers and example code
--------------------------------
For those that write applications in Python, a SWIG wrapper has been
started by H Miz Jones.  This is partially functional, and involves
working with the Barry API, and may introduce changes to it depending
how hard it is to translate things to the Python world.

The SWIG wrapper scripts have not yet been publically released, but
please contact me if you are interested.

Estimated tasks:
        - finish C++ / Python integration (possible template issues)
        - finish SWIG wrapper
Estimated time: unknown



Command line backup and restore
-------------------------------
The only command line backup currently available is the one in btool,
using the -f and -s switches.  This does not backup exact data from
the device, but parses it, stores it in the Boost serialization format,
and then reverses the process for restore.  This is a great test
for the Barry library, but not so great for backup, since not all
databases can be parsed.

There is already an exact backup and restore interface with the GUI, but
there is a lot of useful functionality trapped in a layer of GUI
that could be just as useful from the command line.  Tasks such as a nightly
cron backup of any Blackberry devices attached to the system would be more
easily done via command line.

You could add command line arguments to the barrybackup program to skip
the GUI (tricky and possibly error prone), or you could pull the backup
functionality into a standalone command line utility (more work, but smarter
in the long run).  This is mostly a code refactoring job, consisting of
all working code that's already there, and I know there are people
who would thank you. :-)

Note: see also the perl scripts in contrib/

Estimated tasks:
        - split out tar and backup functionality code into shared library
        - write and test command line tool
Estimated time: 6 hours



Misc Low Level Todo Items:
--------------------------
- test whether sorting of contact records is required before
        uploading data to the device... test whether it is ok
        to upload a GroupLink item in the middle of a contact
        upload, even before all the groups have been sent...
        if ok, remove the sorting code from Contact, Message, and
        Calendar classes