HaskellDirect - an IDL compiler for Haskell
A new release of HaskellDirect, version 0.13, is now available
for download (source + binaries.)
* What is it?
=============
HaskellDirect is an IDL compiler for Haskell, helping to bridge the
gap between Haskell programs and the outside world. Interfacing
Haskell code to libraries or components written in other languages
involves the conversion of values to and from the Haskell
representation of data and the representation expected
externally. Using an Interface Definition Language (IDL) as basis,
HaskellDirect automates the generation of such impedance matching
code, generating the necessary marshaling code to interface to
external functions (and, soon, vice versa.)
An IDL specification specifies the type signatures and types expected
by a set of external functions, and is programming language
neutral. One important use (but not the only!) of this language
neutral specification of interfaces is to specify COM (Microsoft's
Component Object Model) interfaces, and the HaskellDirect compiler
offers special support for writing COM clients in Haskell, i.e.,
Haskell programs that uses COM objects.
The HaskellDirect IDL compiler supports the OSF DCE flavour of IDL and
the variant of IDL used by OMG CORBA/IIOP (but no support for writing
CORBA clients (or servers) in Haskell yet.)
* What's new?
=============
Version 0.13 adds experimental support for reading type libraries.
(based on the type library reading code developed by Daan Leijen as
part of Red Card.)
Additionally, the release fixes a raft of bugs reported and identified
since the release of version 0.12 (10/98.) This version of HaskellDirect
should also work together with GHC-4.01.
* More information
==================
Pointers to a downloadable distribution, documentation etc. is
now available via the HaskellDirect home page:
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/fp/software/hdirect/
(To compile HaskellDirect, you'll need to have either Hugs, or
GHC (3.03pl3 or later) installed on your machine.)
* Bug reports/feedback
======================
Please send any bug reports or suggestions for how to improve
HaskellDirect (for now) to the Glasgow Haskell Bugs list:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Enjoy!
