Re: ORBit-cpp & ORBit2 ...

["Douglas S. Keester" <dkeester earthlink net>]

Michael Meeks wrote:

> 	I'm wondering, as I bumble about inside ORBit2, how much work it
> would be to integrate ORBit-cpp, and forward port it - and whether this
> would be useful and or a good thing.
>
> 	Any ideas ?
>
> 		Michael.

I have been thinking about this for a few days. I am new to ORBit and 
CORBA, so I don't know how difficult this would be. I do think that it 
would be a good idea though.

There are several reasons for this.

1) From what I have seen so far most of the development using CORBA is 
done in either C++ or Java. Having a well supported, and well integrated 
set of C++ bindings would then make ORBit a more viable platform for 
Corporate use. The idea being that more developers is a good thing no 
matter what sector they are in.

2) I have also been looking through the mailinglist archives on 
http://www.gnome.org/ and have noticed that many of the questions posted 
by people who are not ORBit developers are in regards to either C++ or 
multithreading. If people want to develop with ORBit in C++ shouldn't we 
make it easier for them to do so?

3) I read recently that Matthias Ettrich suggested on the KDE devel list 
that DCOP be ported to CORBA using ORBit from libICE, which has several 
problems. Having a well integrated and well supported set of C++ 
bindings would be a show of good faith to the KDE developers. It would 
also possibly give them more incentive to try the port. Again the idea 
being that more developers and wider deployment would be a good thing. 
This perhaps makes good political sense.

4) By integrating ORBit2 with ORBit-C++ we get more people working on 
one codebase and have less duplication of effort. This is a definite win 
no matter how you look at it.

These are just the few reasons that I could come up with off the top of 
my head. I am sure that there are many more better reasons than I have 
given. It is my humble, not very well informed, and perhaps a little 
naive opinion that integrating ORBit-C++ into ORBit2 is a winning 
proposition, depending on how large of an undertaking that would be. 
Obviously it has to be worth someone's time to do it.

Just my two bits on the topic.

-Doug