Re: service stereotype thingies

[Maciej Stachowiak <mjs eazel com>]

Michael Hoennig "(mi)" <mi sun com> writes:

> 
> if it where only renames within OpenOffice, I had some problems in 
> communicating it as well, but it would be doable. Unfortunately the 
> StarOffice API is already frozen AND published AND used EXTERNALLY. 
> Additionally, it is much much bigger than the BONOBO API (having about 
> 2000 types).
> 

OK, but I don't think it will be 100% possible not to break the
StarOffice/OpenOffice API while moving to Bonobo. Maybe I am wrong.

But if GNOME has to eat some breakage, it's unfair to say you guys
should not suffer any changes, even when technically appropriate. Or
at least I do not want to see Bonobo just become a clone of UNO.

> 
> What is the specification of an interface in an idl? Isn't that an 
> interface spec? So you write "interface spec" at the top of an interface 
> spec? No, you simply write "interface". So, what's the point? I have no 
> problem, speaking about these specifications (what they are) as 
> "interface spec" and "service spec". But I still don't see why an 
> interface should be named "{X}ServiceSpecInfo" instead of 
> "{X}ServiceInfo" just for this.
> 

"interface" has a well-established meaning which is reasonably
unconfusing in this context. The term "service" is incredibly broad
and can mean anything. To me it's like calling something "arg" or
"param" or "thing". ServiceSpec clarifies that it's a description of a
service, not a CORBA server, a network server, not a service in the
CORBA sense like "event service" or "trader service", not a service in
the totally abstract sense, etc.

I'm not going to fight this out with you, but I will be disappointed
if you think only GNOME should change interfaces, and not open-office.

FWIW I also want to change the service spec format from whatever your
current format is. I have considered XML, but perhaps something
IDL-like where you can list mandatory and optional IDL interfaces and
include an OAF query for attribute requirements would be nice.

If you won't consider that either, it's hard to see what we can have a
useful discussion about.

Love,

Maciej