On Sunday 25 July 2004 00:59, Mansour Raad wrote: > I second the thought that there need to be a way to unify the configuration > of an Avalon components, such that it could be used in Fortress and in > Merlin.
Currently, the _main_ stumbling blocks (no pun intended) for this to happen, revolves around; 1. Context object. What does it contain, how is it looked up, customized contexts and so on... 2. ServiceManager lookup semantics. Fortress uses the older ECM ROLE concept, whereas Merlin uses a Service concept. Also, Fortress applications uses Selectors, which Merlin discourage due to lack of versatile semantics, 'no shoe fits all' and that selections should be outside the core functionality of the container. 3. Meta-info. This is a two layered issue. One is about the javadoc tags (@avalon-component for instance), but then there is Merlin serializes into an XML format, whereas Fortress uses a flat text file format. 4. Repository and Classloading management. Fortress doesn't have repository management at all, and Merlin artifacts are generated with additional information, to solve classloading and chained dependencies of such artifacts. Fortress rely on that the developer does this manually, either by features in the enclosing larger container or by coding it into the bootstrap code. Exactly these bullets above are the technical roots to the 'social problems' that has caused so much 'negative energy' in Avalon. I think that it is a dream to believe that Avalon can unify these camps, and find it more likely that either container will adopt some of the features of the other. For instance, I don't rule out that Merlin will develop a "Fortress Extension" so that Fortress components can be used in Merlin 'as-is'. But that is not yet on the radar, and since both Stephen and I have very limited experience with Fortress, and Fortress guys very limited experience with Merlin, I doubt it will happen soon. But we welcome anyone who wants to help out in this area. Cheers Niclas -- +------//-------------------+ / http://www.bali.ac / / http://niclas.hedhman.org / +------//-------------------+ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
