Development workflow / file structure for Cinnamon Spices applets

[Starcross]

This is a question about how best to work on applets that are already in the cinnamon-spices-applets github repo.

The file structure in the repo follows the form <appname>/files/<appname>/* but the contents of ~/.local/share/cinnamon/applets uses <appname>/*. So I don't think it's possible to just clone the repo into ~/.local/share/cinnamon/applets

What to people do besides lots of moving files around between commits?

[klangman]

I created a git directory in my home where I cloned the cinnamon-spaces-applets repository (along with many others), then I use soft links to link the cloned repository into the ~/.local/share/cinnamon/applets directory for each applet I am interesting.
i.e.

ln -s ~/git/cinnamon-spices-applets/<applet_name>/files/<applet_name>/ ~/.local/share/cinnamon/applets/<applet_name>

[rcalixte]

We can make this easier. There is a test-spice script that was added to the Actions repository of Spices, we can extend it to the others.

[rcalixte]

The test-spice script from Actions has been ported for Applets, Desklets, and Extensions and the respective READMEs have been updated to reflect the proper usage.

• Applets
• Desklets
• Extensions

[Starcross]

Really helpful, thanks for this @klangman and @rcalixte

[OnlineLearningTutorials]

Suggesting to add screenshot of applet, desklet, themes in future version of mint
As of now the desklet chooser of mint is good. But as the applet and desklet increases, it would be better to show directly the screenshot of that desklet, The screenshot would be optional if no screenshot than it will show default image or we can make one main screenshot compulsory, and we can limit the maximum screenshot to be 4 or 8. And the presentation of Desklet chooser be like cinnamon spices website rather than one row per desklet. Also we can the main screenshot to be like 600px by 400px or be any size, we can change icon to main screenshot or to be remain both. The interface of cinnamon spices website is very good we want something like that in over local desklet manager. I am talking of future version, current system is also good.

Also directory structure I can sugget <appname>/<files of app>+<info folder/info folders file that describe metadata etc, can store screenshots here >
However that depends on mint team what they prefer, because if my directory structure will be followed than we can copy all applet by cloning the git repo however it have some extra infomation in info folder.