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Enablers: Services
Functional Description

Services are an abstract concept in Qt Extended whereby items of functionality are associated with a set of providers of the service. The service mechanism can be used as a form of remote procedure call, that is, by invoking a service, an application is invoking an operation in another application that provides the service. This allows applications to invoke the services of other applications, while allowing the specific application providing the service to be selected by the system integrator or end-user.

Features

• Defining and Invoking Services
• Hardware Button Mappings
• Invoking Services via Short Cuts or Speed Dialing
• Remote Procedure Call
• Selecting Applications as Service Providers

Defining and Invoking Services

Qt Extended Services are defined and invoked through the Services API.

Hardware Button Mappings

Some Hard Keys can be assigned to invoke an action in an application. For example, pressing a key with an "addressbook" icon on it may cause the Contacts application to show, while pressing and holding the key might cause the user's business card to be beamed via IrDA. These bindings of buttons to applications is defined by the etc/defaultbuttons.conf file.

Invoking Services via Short Cuts or Speed Dialing

In the same way as hard keys can be assigned to actions, so can combinations of phone number key presses. See Speed Dialing.

Remote Procedure Call

The service mechanism can be used as a form of remote procedure call. By invoking a service, an application is invoking an operation in another application that provides the service.

Selecting Applications as Service Providers

Where only one application must provide a service yet multiple applications are installed which provide the service, the user can select which application they wish to use. For example, the user might choose between multiple web browsers. The "Application Services" settings is the UI for selecting services.