[Embedlets-dev] Embedlet components

[Christopher S. <cs...@oo...>]

On the Embedlet/Outpost front...

I have run into some complexities attempting to integrate the Persistence
model into the current Component model. The issue centers around the
inclusion of the Context in the core definition of the component such that
every component has to be aware of the context. This is the case as well
with the model in the OopScope Process Components, hence the conflict... the
component would now have to handle the Context and the Persistent models in
order to integrate with both.

It occurred to me that a more flexible approach would be to make it so that
the core component requires no knowlege of the Context (unless explicitly
required) or Persistence classes. A partner class would provide the
Persistence/Context interface for the component and interact through the
regular get/set Bean patterns.


This would allow lightweight implementations (James) to drop the Persistence
and Context models in favor of a hard-wired approach, yet the same Embedlet
would be able to operate in these enriched enviroments, without
modification, through the inclusion of the appropriate 'partner' class. A
vendor would make the core Embedlet and the enriched partner available
seperatly. Developers could choose the appropriate level of complexity based
on their project needs and know that they could scale up to the enriched
container model with the same components.

This solves the JAPL initialization issue as well. Here the JAPL API is
published with the standard Bean patterns and an Embedlet partner class
provides the initialization when the JAPL component resides in an Embedlet
container. Outside of the Embedlet container the JAPL can operate as a
standalone device driver.

In this light it may make sense to define Level I, Level II... container
specifications that would outline the services avaiable:

Level I (no partner required)
	- Life cycle
	- Logging
	- Event management
	- Requires hard code initialization

Level II
	- Dynamic initialization (Context/Persistence)
	- Networking/Remote management

Level III
	- Enterprise integration
	- Web Services (SOAP RPC)

I have included a diagram to (hopefully) clarify this idea. I will post a
sample Embedlet and partner class with this concept in place. This will be
the BinaryToggle and BinaryToggleContext classes.

Feedback?