I've got an idea to make it possible to have a "Send to TextMate" and "Edit in TextMate" in a browser window, the first being to send a text block to TextMate the second to send text and allow saving the changes back to the server. Trying to think of how best to make this possible. So far I've got three possibilities:

1. A browser plugin that takes control of a new MIME type and when a link is clicked the mime type is sent and the plugin saves the file to /tmp and then opens it with a helper application that takes over. Issue being the complexity of using a plugin and compatibility between browsers. Also that it takes changes on the server-side in reguards to MIME types.

2. A placeholder browser plugin that does nothing, but can be tested for. A protocol helper link is placed on the page by a script if the plugin is found. The helper application takes over when the link is clicked (like a mailto link).

3. Simply have a protocol link that's broken for non Textmate users.

Anyone else have any slick way they can think of handling this?

Possibility one has the advantage of being what mediawiki uses for this, and it could be supported pretty easily, on the flipside it's also the most complex option, and pretty invasive really. I'm sort of leaning toward #2 at the moment.