IDL for SAX2

[uche.ogbuji at fourthought.com]

> * uche ogbuji
> |
> | Furthermore, I've been thinking of proposing that the SAX2
> | interfaces be specified in IDL rather than Java (or at least
> | publishing an IDL translatiuon when the interfaces are stabilized),
> | and your proposal wouldn't wash in IDL.
> 
> Many things in SAX won't wash in IDL, such as the use of the
> Java-specific InputStream, Reader and Locale objects. 

Huh?  Sounds like orthogonal matters to me.

module spam {
	interface InputStream;

	interface eggs{
		string foobar(in InputStream input);
	}	
}

Is perfectly legal IDL.  IDL does not concern itself with the implementation 
of any object: strictly interface, as its name promises.  You can use 
InputStream, Reader, etc. etc. to your heart's content.  In fact, you can even 
improve on the current Java approach by actually _defining_ the interface for 
those classes, saving non-Java users a spurious trip through the Javadoc.

> Also, IDL has a problem in that it's sort of a least common
> denominator, and thus leaves out many useful language-specific things.

Examples, please.  I don't think your above example of Java-specific objects 
really minimizes the usefulness of IDL.

> So you'd probably want to do a manual translation anyway.

> If there ever is a published SAX spec I think it should use IDL to be
> politically correct and point out potential language-mapping problems.
> However, the actual utility of IDL I think is low in this particular
> case.

It's not a matter of "politically correct".  IDL is an excellent _engineering_ 
tool whenever you need to define interface.  I have used it time and time in 
my career, and I find that the ability to generate stubs in any native 
language directly from the IDL, thus ensuring adherence to the interface, 
saves much development time.

-- 
Uche Ogbuji
FourThought LLC, IT Consultants
uche.ogbuji at fourthought.com	(970)481-0805
Software engineering, project management, Intranets and Extranets
http://FourThought.com		http://OpenTechnology.org



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