> * XS, the system for extending Perl with C or C++, will be replaced
> with something much easier to use. This will give people very
> convenient access to existing code libraries, and write C or C++
> subroutines that can be called as Perl subroutines from Perl code
> to take advantage of C's speed and memory flexibility.
I disclaim having any inner access to Larry's current thoughts on this
but just as a datapoint check out the latest Perl Journal and its
article on the Inline module.
Also, having recently been subjected to the pain and horrors, ummm,
thrill and joys, of trying to use a very deeply C-like (1) library to
from Java, allow me to voice my fervent, errr, humble hope that we
steer clear of the JNI disaster (2).
(1) Synchronous and asynchronous callbacks implemented using
function pointers and void pointers being used both
as event type specific data containers and as user-specified
opaque cookies. Yum.
(2) There are 200+ functions in the JNI API -- but enough to do (1).
I do understand that mapping a type-unsafe language to a type-safe
O-O language is hard but the resulting API is simply disgusting,
and even Sun admits this, slow as a drunken limping pig.
--
$jhi++; # http://www.iki.fi/jhi/
# There is this special biologist word we use for 'stable'.
# It is 'dead'. -- Jack Cohen
