Location for Implementation of Discover Menu

Describe your suggested feature

Hey CloudStream team,

I'm not a developer, but I created this account to submit this feature request. I've been wanting a Discover Menu in CloudStream for a while, so I decided to propose it here on the repo.

When I checked the existing issues, I saw several requests already asking to add a Discover Menu. In particular, I looked at the one from @EHMilon (#671), which has a "TODO" label. I went through the entire discussion there and noticed that the main challenge seems to be finding the right place to implement it. People had suggestions, like removing certain elements and adding it there, creating a separate extension, or using a FAB (Floating Action Button), but there wasn't a clear consensus.

I spent several days thinking about this problem, and I believe I've come up with a solid solution. I've put a lot of thought and effort into this idea to make it practical.

My proposal is to integrate the Discover Menu directly into the existing Search section. This way, we preserve the original universal search functionality while seamlessly adding the new Discover feature. No need to overhaul other parts of the app.

Note: The screenshots I've attached might look a bit rough because they're edited mockups, but they're just to illustrate the concept. (See the attached images for visual reference.)

Implementation Steps

Here is how it could work:

1. Change the Icon: Swap the current search icon for a "Discover" icon to show the new feature.

2. Clean Up Search Bar: Take out the horizontal items under the search bar.

3. Add Two Sections: Put two switchable views below the search bar:
   · Discover Menu (for example, with categories like Movies, Popular, All Genres)
   

   · Old Search Options (like the tabs for Movies, TV Series, Anime, etc.)
   

4. Switch Between Them: Use the provider icon to toggle between these two sections.

   • By default, the icon should be white, indicating that the Discover Menu is active.
   • Clicking the icon toggles it to blue, switching to the universal search mode.

5. Default Setting: Make the Discover Menu show up first by default.

6. Tap to Switch: Tapping the provider icon turns it blue and switches to universal search mode.

7. Long Press Functionality: On long-pressing the provider icon, open the provider list for enable/disable as usual.

This approach keeps the UI clean, intuitive, and backward-compatible. It avoids cluttering other areas of the app and leverages the existing layout efficiently.

Other details

No response

Acknowledgements

• My suggestion is NOT about adding a new provider
• I have searched the existing issues and this is a new ticket, NOT a duplicate or related to another open issue.

Start by reviewing the existing Search section and the discussion in issue #671, then compare the proposed screenshots and behavior with the current app. The issue names no files or tests, so first seek maintainer agreement on the design and implementation location; done means an agreed Discover Menu approach that preserves universal search and provider interactions.