Request for GIR support
@esodan
Submitted by Daniel Espinosa Ortiz Link to original bug (#698255)
Description
Glade use an XML file to get access to widgets provided from other libraries based on GObject.
In order to help others to get inmedate access to Glade pallete, Glade could gain access to GIR XML file from GObjectIntrospection, that file includes most of the information to access widgets defined in a library, including the reference to the library it self.
Glade could scan GIR file to find objects derived from GtkWidget for example or any other one. The widget could be added using defaults and adding some custom xml files (or metadata a la Vala bindings) for get fine integration.
Python plugin could be used to this. By reading the GIR file in the python plugin to iterate in all defined objects, you can use a Type check to find widgets to be added to Glade, because GObject Introspection / GIR objects can be loaded from python with no extra effort.
Widgets could gain a "get_icon" method to help Glade to find the correct one, or just use default name location built-in feature in Glade (widget-CATALOG-GENERICNAME.png) installed in glade/pixmaps. Library developers can install required icons but not generated/update manually XML files for Glade when a new widget is added, just needs to generate GIR files and done (well add an icon to represent the widget is useful for pallet use).