Subject: Re: Adding Java flames to the scripting fire
From: Martin Sevior (msevior@mccubbin.ph.unimelb.edu.au)
Date: Thu Jul 06 2000 - 09:02:15 CDT
On Thu, 6 Jul 2000, Mo DeJong wrote:
> Instead, use a framework that supports multiple languages.
> It just so happens that IBM has just released an open source
> framework call BSF that does exactly that.
>
> http://oss.software.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/bsf/
>
> The tool already supports languages like JavaScript, Tcl,
> Python, NetRexx, VB, and Perl (mostly implemented in Java)
> The trick here is that the JVM would be the "environment"
> that would be common to all these tools, so you could pick
> which one you wanted to load it at runtime (along with a JVM).
> Now we all know that Java got a bad rap because of the
> pathetic JVM inside of browsers, but that does not mean it
> would not make a good platform to run scripting languages
> on. You would also get the benefit of the Java security
> model, which would make it harder to write bad
> script (I said harder not impossible).
>
> If you provide a "method table" that is accessable at
> runtime (like the gimp does), it should not be too
> hard to use any BSF supported scripting language
> to do whatever you wanted to do in abiword.
>
This sounds really nice. We could just make the "ap_EditMethods" stuff
available and hey presto scripting in your language of choice. I guess
this would not be that hard to implement. Much easier than lists (jeeze
Luke Jordan has a convoluted mind) tables or an equation editor.
My may concern is this code GPL compatible? I'm not a lawyer but it sounds
like IBM has put in some extra stuff regarding patents which I didn't
understand. More informed opinions would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Martin
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