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Since the whole point of the XOD file format was for it to be the new
vosapp configuration language, the next task is to adopt the vosapp
framework to load XOD files. However, since XOD is just an XML Vobject
representation, this really means adopting vosapp to work with a
particular Vobject structure.
The main feature that the vosapp framework provides is the ability to load
plugins. In the current vosapp, the config file directly specifies the
shared library or DLL file to load; it is loaded and an initialize
function is called with the parameters supplied in the config file.
For the new system, I think that the way to go is to introduce a
vosapp:plugin vobject type. This would be a metaobject that manages a
particular plugin, along with properties used in initializing the plugin.
So far, so good -- plugins can be loaded pretty much the same way as they
are now. What got me thinking is how this concept might be extended.
For example, Python scripts as "plugins" which are loaded and initialized.
Going further, in accessing remote sites you might encounter "plugin"
vobjects -- from which you you download code and run it client side!
I don't want to go that far right now, but I just wanted to mention it, as
it is certainly a very interesting direction to go in later (when we have
integrated a trustworthy virtual machine to run downloaded code...)
On a related note, I'm also interested in ways that the client application
can be reconfigured on the fly. For example, introducing hooks into
Ter'angreal so that a game could bind keys to specific actions. Some kind
of downloadable code/plugin scheme similar in spirit to javascript seems
like the way to go about doing this.
For now I'll restrict plugins to acting on the local site only. What will
be interesting will be the ability to handle Python scripts as "plugins"
the same way that compiled shared libraries are.
[ Peter Amstutz ][ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ][ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
[Lead Programmer][Interreality Project][Virtual Reality for the Internet]
[ VOS: Next Generation Internet Communication][ http://interreality.org ]
[ http://interreality.org/~tetron ][ pgpkey: pgpkeys.mit.edu 18C21DF7 ]
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