Re: [HACKERS] CORBA interface in backend?

On Wed, Nov 11, 1998 at 01:33:52PM +0800, Michael Robinson wrote:
> Put an ORB in the backend.

Sounds good IMO. Although I have to admit I'm not really well informed about
Corba.

> Not only would this, in theory, give fairly reasonable performance for 
> persistent object store applications in Python, it would open up PostgreSQL
> for interoperability with any CORBA-interfaced application.  Now that
> PostgreSQL has something of a stored procedural language, that makes it
> even more attractive.

Once again agreed.

> What I envision is a "dumpIDL" command that, for certain input parameters
> (table/class) would dump the appropriate IDL definition for instances(rows)
> of that class and related methods(functions).  And then hack an existing 
> ORB onto the backend to do all the translation, communications and
> bookkeeping.

This is where it gets tricky. Which existing ORB are you thinking about? I
know of only two free ORBs: The Gnome one (orbit) and mico. Orbit is GPLed
so there's a problem with PostgreSQL becoming GPLed. However, as long as
PostgreSQL remain free under the BSD license that should be okay. But we
defintely lose the possibility to make this a commercial product. Not that
we want to do so.

Mico on the other hand is said to be pretty slow. I haven't tested it myself
though. And I have no idea what the license situation is.

> So, I'm soliciting opinions:  is this brain fart worth pursuing, or should
> I just forget it ever happened?

I'd say keep on thinking.

Michael
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