The DOM and the victim, the iconoclast and the believer

[Len Bullard]

Ray Whitmer wrote:
> 
> In the case of DOM, the contract is the specification, which goes far beyond
> what any IDL is able to specify, although any specification may have holes in
> it which need to be patched.  DOM uses IDL to help specify a how a particular
> level of behavior works.  DOM generally permits specific language bindings
> to do the right thing -- whatever is best -- to adapt to the requirements and
> expectations of users of the platform including version compatibility.

It is part of the contract.  If it is a viable contract, is specifies
its duration, 
its remedies, its means of conformance and validation, etc.

> The DOM specification tells how users of the specification can detect the
> level of compliance and compatibility from the runtime system.  

That is still part of the specification.  A contract has a duration and 
remedies.

> No small
> set of models would suffice if more were to be dictated by the specification,
> and would occupy no small part of the DOM WG's time to solve something
> which seems more properly solvable by those concerned with a specific platform.

Then platform specific issues are not part of the contract.

> Whoever said that did a poor job of choosing their object model in the first
> place.

Competence is an issue in solving the issues of contract conformance.

> Read even just the complete introduction to "What is the DOM".  It is
> good reading WRT what is expected of the IDL interfaces in the DOM
> spec.  While it doesn't rule out CORBA usage, it makes it obvious (to
> me anyway) that using it blindly with CORBA goes outside the intent
> of the specification in this case, not to mention the further-unspecified
> usage of IDL for inprocess connection of separately-compiled C++
> vtables, which not even CORBA standardizes.

Then you have the "reasonable implementor" argument and you are down 
to splitting hairs about the normative portions of the specification.

Sounds like this is not an issue of the contract but of the
interpretation 
and potentially, some hot books on How To.

len


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