[Somelib] Recent activity

[Frank V. C. <fr...@co...>]

As I have been reading the posting to this group for a few weeks, every
once in a while I see things like:

> I want our stuff to be compatable with the CoreLinux++ stuff so once we
> hammer the details out a bit we should pass it by them and see their
> thoughts on the subject.

I thought it would be to our mutual benefits to give everyone a "heads
up" to where we are in the similar endeavor.

The relevant framework requirement (although lightly worded):
http://corelinux.sourceforge.net/doc/requirements/req4865.php

And the UML design for the framework abstraction and one implementation
level:
http://corelinux.sourceforge.net/doc/design/4865.php

What we have been doing to facilitate this view is building up the
MetaType, because C++ RTTI just isn't enough, so that when we get to
these frameworks, we can reason with the objects in a more dynamic
fashion. We are avoiding any IDL for the short term, obviously at the
cost of adding more code, but clearly see the usefulness of the
capability in the near term. To support the IDL type thingy, we need a
prepared infrastructure that is denied us by lack of resources.

So, we have been approaching it in the following way, and our current
CVS cut of framework library reflects this work:

1. Creation of the MetaType, and subsequent fundemental type wrappers
(Real, Integer, SmallInteger, etc.) which generate the information and
support needed for the types (size, parents, attributes, factory) in
this endeavor. This is done through macros defined at edit time.

2. Type attribute accessor/mutator enablement (again through macros),
the most useful one being that which takes and returns void pointers to
values which then call instance methods to cast types appropriatley.

What the run-time MetaType instance (e.g. MetaTypeInteger) gives us are
mainly arrays of structures which can be coupled with the type instance
(e.g. Integer myInteger;) to execute against (like your
DynamicMethodCall).

Christophe/Hans (CoreLinux++ team members): You may want to join the
somelib-devel as I may forget to cross post these exchanges.

Thoughts anywhere/anyone?

-- 
Frank V. Castellucci
http://corelinux.sourceforge.net
OOA/OOD/C++ Standards and Guidelines for Linux