Add API for obtaining list of directories

[pktiuk]

This is just an early idea proposing adding an API which could be used for obtaining list of directories.

This could be used in every prompt in WEBUI which asks user about a specific path in the system. (It would be a really nice quality of life improvement)

Example implementation of mechanism helping with writing paths

(screenshot from syncthing)

I know this change would require also updating docs and is probably written badly. But now this is just a draft.

[luzpaz]

Commit has a typo in the title: dor -> for

[pktiuk]

Should I also update API version?

[pktiuk]

@glassez @thalieht

Could you look at this code?

[glassez]

@glassez @thalieht

Could you look at this code?

It would be more clear and robust if it just returns content of given directory (only subdirectories if we don't need files).
Also it should be named based on what it does (e.g., get directory listing), not what it could be used for in any particular case (autocompletion etc.).

[pktiuk]

@glassez

Also it should be named based on what it does (e.g., get directory listing), not what it could be used for

This is exactly why I used name autocompletion, because it completes provided paths. (not only lists directories)

It would be more clear and robust if it just returns content of given directory

Maybe it is a better idea. Filtering paths can be done on the frontend side and seems to be a bit more universal.

[glassez]

Filtering paths can be done on the frontend side and seems to be a bit more universal.

Exactly. It is enough to get the directory listing only once.

[pktiuk]

Is it good now?

[glassez]

Is it good now?

No.
I would expect that its parameter is the path to the target directory (i.e. the one whose list of subdirectories you want to get), and not to some of its file/subdirectory.

[glassez]

@pktiuk
Are you the one who intends to add some functionality to WebUI that would use this API?

[pktiuk]

Yes, I want to implement it, but I would like deal with it later in separate PR.

AFAIK other WebUI-s may be also interested in this API (VueTorrent/VueTorrent#1459 ).

[Chocobo1]

TBH I find setting up an environment for qBitTorrent really annoying and problematic (mainly because of the new QT, boost and libtorrent), so I created a simple Docker for development. Would you be interested in contribution with Dockerfile and simple instruction how to use it?

Although it is not for development, we already have something alike: https://github.com/qbittorrent/docker-qbittorrent-nox

Later it could be used for creating easy configs for devcontainers and would allow app development using Github Codespaces. It would make life for new developers much easier.

Speaking for myself:

• devcontainers
  That probably would help other newcomers.
  However, I already have my own dev environment in Archlinux. Setting it up for qbt is dead easy and therefore I probably won't be maintaining devcontainers. You'll have to be sure that it won't rot through the test of time.
• Github Codespaces
  I'm not interested.

[glassez]

@pktiuk
Thank you!