Re: Just Passing By

[Ludovic Brenta <ludovic.brenta@insalien.org>]

Georg Bauhaus writes:
> Andrew Carroll wrote:
> : Rational?  It's currently written in C, need I say more?
>
> Yes, definitely. Just imagine the following situational parameters:
>
> - TCP/IP networking is currently associated with C in the heads of
>   just about everyone you want to convince, right?

Depends on who we want to convince.  System administrators who need to
run a DNS server don't care what language it is written in.  They care
about the language of the configuration file.

> - TCP/IP is running the internet, even MS has switched to TCP/IP.

TCP/IP is language independent.

> - There is nothing to show, no rationale, no specifics, no programs,
>   on sourceforge. O.K., there are no grandiloquent plans either,
>   which is good.

We're just getting started now.  We are gathering requirements, like
good software engineers ought to do.  Now is the time to influence the
project, if you care to join in.

> - It is not easy to see the idea, it can't be that Ada is so much
>   better? Or is it? How, specifically, does it improve existing
>   implementations? What will the savings be?

As usual: fewer bugs, low maintenance costs.  Also, the configuration
process of BIND is notoriously difficult; perhaps we can improve on
it.  Unless users think it is important to support BIND's
configuration files, I would favour an all-new and simpler
configuration mechanism.  Perhaps an Ada-like configuration language,
or XML, or tables in a relational database.  The design has not
started yet.  Again, if you want to influence the project, speak up!

> - Is it easier to write networking programs in Ada using AdaBIND instead
>   of bindings to existing software? Can C programs use AdaBIND?

I do not know yet whether or not AdaBIND will have a programming
interface.  I only know it will have a network interface identical to
BIND's, and a configuration interface.

-- 
Ludovic Brenta.