[REWORK][FEAUTURES] Migrate to Typescript for better maintenability and some other improvment

[bomdia]

@marcinjakubowski, @andyholmes, @pengshao, @toolstack in my view we should migrate the codebase to typescript https://gjs.guide/extensions/development/typescript.html the pros would range from better code readability and code hinting and linting from the ability to automatize the building process and the ability of importing npm library without having to manually download and copy it with better version management (ex luxon library)

i can start the migration to ts but before i want your opinion

on another aspect we should migrate prefs to libadwaita like a lot of the extension out here (better graphics and support)

and maybe implementing some automated test

i don't know much on how to automatize the workflow

other than that i think the default format string we currently use is horrible and we should change it.

my current format is: 🗓️ EEE D 🕗 TT 🌐 ZZZZ Z 🗓️ sab 30/3/2024 🕗 19:10:39 🌐 CET +1

and i very would like to have the ability to use this extension on the lockscreen and loginscreen but from what i've seen the lockscreen should be easy, but the loginscreen is dependant on another user (gdm) and so we should somehow overwrite the gdm dconf setting from the current user (pkexec ?)

[andyholmes]

Thanks for the ping, but I'm not actually a maintainer of this extension :)

[bomdia]

ahh yes and it's time to add an icon to this extension 😜

[bomdia]

@andyholmes well i've pinged all github contributor, anyhow what do you think about it

[andyholmes]

I'm sorry, but I really don't have time to take on another project right now.

If you want my opinion, the best way to engage a maintainer (i.e. Marcin) is to open a proof-of-concept PR with something tangible they can review.

[bomdia]

it's fine that you don't have time, i think that before a p.o.f. we should discuss what to do, i just wanted your opinion on the points that i've raised and if you have some other point, i'm not asking anyone to implement it, its just to define a roadmap as the thing i've proposed aren't marginal thing, if other user of the extension want to raise some other point we can discuss it

[toolstack]

I'm not a maintainer either, but here are my two cents worth:

• Migrating to TS seems like a change for change's sake, you'd be better off spending time on some of the other features you mentioned.
• Code readability is entirely in the eye of the beholder, someone that doesn't know TS isn't going to find it more readable.
• Moving prefs over to a libadawita probably makes sense, but isn't a requirement by any means.
• Changing the default format string isn't something I'd do. The entire point of the extension is to let you set your own, so the default isn't really something that makes a big difference to the end users since they're changing it anyway.
• Unit tests are fine and all, but with their being an almost unlimited number of format strings that could be used, you'll never get the kind of coverage to make them useful in this case.
• Automation of the build/deployment is a nice to have, but with few updates being made, it might be more work than it saves.
• Lock screen customisation would be a nice feature.
• There is a login screen customisation app called GDM Settings that might have some hints on how to do it for the login screen.

In general, much like the other comment, if you want to do some of this work it's better to submit some code. Start small (like adding the icon) and see how your PR's are received. Then you can start working on some of the bigger items.