Amazon 7.x-2.x Roadmap

Capturing Pancho's thoughts about a 7.x-2.x roadmap, which were sent via email:

You have seen my task to convert amazon to the Entity API. I'd better get this
done by my presentation in 10 days, because the flexibility and compatibility
this would offer is exactly what I need to connect Amazon data with the data
from the local bookstores. However I see that this is my personal interest and
not necessarily the most pressuring issues for the forthcoming release.
So I'm really okay if you say: "Go play with it in your sandbox (as I
currently do) and then file it against v7.x-2".

On the other hand, I'd call it a smooth conversion to change the internal
methods now, and then focus on a larger overhaul for v2.
Cause actually I'm not so sure about the feture sets of the different modules.
The table-based datastructure is IMHO certainly more than a pure API. A pure
API should retrieve the XML data from the net and interpret it.
The demarcation between amazon API and amazon_media also remained unclear to
me - has it just been an arbitrary decision to make the API save images and to
leave some type-specific fields (for books, music etc.) to amazon_media?

So IMHO we could actually split (step 1) what is today the main amazon module
into a real basic amazon API and an advanced item management module named e.g.
amazon_item.
The former, amazon API, would get merged (step 2) with amazon_search, which is
just a tiny support function for a core module. The formal dependency on
search would be waived - if search module is active, it get's supported.
The latter, amazon_item, would also incorporate (step 3) what is today
amazon_media and would become more flexible to cater all kinds of items and all
needs.
amazon_filter would still work with or w/o the amazon_item component, just as
amazon_field (aka asin) would. However I can see at least the latter being
integrated into the basic Amazon API.

Now let's take a look (step 4) at amazon_store. Sure, we're talking about a
big Internet store, so people just want to sell their stuff.
But wait: I can see plenty of use cases for searching and browsing the
categories and using browsenodes and stuff for other purposes. And I see cases
where the included cart is more a burden than anything else, because they need
something way more sophisticated.
So I can see some use in splitting amazon_store into something like
amazon_browse and a relatively shrinked module called amazon_cart, amazon_shop
or whatever.

Leaves it to 4 sub-modules: amazon API, amazon_item, amazon_browse and
amazon_shop, each catering a specific set of use cases. This would also mean
that the two projects had to become one, but I guess the separation has
historical reasons anyway (you wrote amazon_store and then took over the main
project).

The reorganisation would certainly be something to do in the next version's
branch (v7.x-2). We need time to test and improve and enrich and polish
everything. But some feedback about how you think about these steps would be
very welcome!