gstreamer/docs/random/ds/0.9-suggested-changes

API:

 - replace object/structure set/get macros with actual functions.

 - events should all use GstStructure

 - reorganize headers (split app headers vs plugin headers maybe)

 - make GstPadLinkReturn internal (to either plugins+core or just core)
   and return gboolean to apps.

 - rewrite GstIndex (it's gross)

 - gst_init() et al. need to work correctly when called multiple times
   and from libraries, etc.

 - gst_pad_get_pad_template_caps -> gst_pad_get_template_caps()

 - add ways for autopluggers to manage negotiation of their children.
   This would allow autopluggers to no longer need helper identities.

 - remove float support from dparams

 - dparams: should be converted into some kind of special pad and
   object property combination.

 - remove gst_element_yield()

 - read/write locks on buffers

 - be able to send events to unlinked pads (bug #114442)

 - caps should have a flag on fields to indicate that the field is optional

 - remove gst_pad_select() and add gst_pad_pull_many(), which pulls one
   buffer from one of many pads

 - deprecate gst_buffer_merge() and replace with a function that takes
   ownership of the buffers.  (bug #136408)

 - fakesrc handoff should be changed to return a GstData * or carry a
    GstData **, wo the user can provide own buffers and events.

 - remove GST_OBJECT_DESTROYED()

 - fix plugin code to load plugins with RTLD_LOCAL

 - don't install gstmarshal.h

 - make GstPad and friends a real class heirarchy

 - make GstBuffer/GstData a real class heirarchy, although maybe not
   as a subclass of GObject.

 - remove unnecessary headers from gst.h (gstqueue.h in particular)

caps:

  (Company:)

  "An idea I had once was to force registration of mimetypes and then
  only allow caps with a registered mimetype - like it's done now with caps.
  You could then add functions to those registrations like
  - gchar *get_human_readable_string (caps);
  should be kinda selfexplanatory. Would return stuff like "16bit signed
  integer audio", "MPEG2 video" or "video format in RGB colorspace" (for
  unfixed RGB)
  - GstCaps *default_fixate (const GstCaps *caps);
  A default fixation function, so we don't fixate to minimum integer
  anymore but have the ability to fixate to 320x240 for video or 44100 for
  audio rates
  - gboolean validate (const GstCaps *caps);
  check if the given caps are ok for this mimetype - debugging only function
  I'd _really_ like to have - especially during gst_register.

  But that's 0.10 material."

negotiation:

- autopluggers would be easier to write if there was a core method
  to do what plugidentities do.

- there should be a way to hook into negotiation and be able to do something if 
  negotiation fails. Autopluggers would need that for exchanging elements when
  they can't link.

bugs with interesting info:
 
 XML descriptions of plugin information:
   http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=114216
  

object hierarchy:
- state_change in GstElementClass should be renamed to state_changed, since
  it's a signal triggered after state has changed


- a method for elements to know when downstream elements are ignoring
  the data stream.  This would allow automatic shutoff of pipelines
  whose processing is being dumped.

- object properties:
  - all bitrates should be bits per second, since they're specified
    as integers