Re: [naviserver-devel] Explanation of last changes

[Stephen D. <sd...@gm...>]

On 9/7/06, Vlad Seryakov <vl...@cr...> wrote:
> >
> > It isn't a dummy server, it's needed.  The current example-config.tcl
> > is wrong in a number of respects, for example this comment:
> >
> > #
> > # Server-level configuration
> > #
> > #  There is only one server in naviserver, but this is helpful when multiple
> > #  servers share the same configuration file.  This file assumes that only
> > #  one server is in use so it is set at the top in the "server" Tcl variable.
> > #  Other host-specific values are set up above as Tcl variables, too.
> > #
> >
> > There isn't only one server!  All Tcl commands and procs *have* to run
> > in the context of a virtual server, even if there's only one.
>
> I can put it in other words: there is always virtual server in
> NaviServer, if not defined in config file, internal server "default" is
> used instead. It is impossible to run nsd without virtual server, so
> instead of exiting with error internal server is used.
>
> I am not insisting on doing it the way i did but it seemed to me very
> logical and not breaking overall NS architecture or model.
>
> But of course, suggestions are welcome, this is development version
> under discussion.


The stuff about virtual servers in the config file just isn't hard.
And the problem with hiding them is that it really gives people the
wrong mental-model about how things work.


> > Yes, you can have global modules.  But not if they register Tcl
> > commands!  Which virtual server context do they run with?
> >
> > I guess you could write a module such that when it's loaded globally,
> > it roots around for all virtual servers and adds it's Tcl commands to
> > each. But they don't do that...
> >
> > The idea of creating a default virtual server magically hides this
> > important distinction, which makes it harder over all for people to
> > understand what's going on.
>
> This part actuall out of sync with overall NS model and logic, the only
> module that does it is nssock and it was made so for enabling host based
> virtual server support. I think this is ill and needs to be removed or
> re-build, if we always have virtual server, its nssock can do host
> mapping, no need to load it globally and global modules should be
> eliminated.


Hmm, not sure.  The nsdb module is also a global module.  But it's
kinda weird...