[Help-smalltalk] Re: extension modules for GST

[Bonz]

address@hidden wrote:

> I just downloaded the 1.95.1 release. The performance is better. But
> still there are some random crashes. One test (in the low-level dir)
> failed with a core dump.

Which? Were you using the JIT?

> 1) interface GST with MySQL.

Interesting!

> For 1) I'am considering an abstract class hierarchy (similiar to DAO)
> and for each RDBMS a seperate set of adaptor classes.

I like DAO very much (I'm of a Windows background...)

> The problem is where should I start ? Should I write the wrapper C
> code first and then deal with the Smalltalk part or the opposite ?

You decide.  I usually wrote the C code first, but I only wrote two
modules, both of which have much more Smalltalk than C code (so it might
only be "let's do the shortest things first...")

> I guess u have to build a new interpreter for each
> module(s).

Not necessarily.  I took this way because I didn't want to learn
libtool, but Smalltalk really cries for a shared library mechanism
for modules and 2.0 will have it (the interpreter will be a static
library for speed).  Since the next version you will be able to
specify a library in the `packages' file, it will be dynamically loaded
and its `gst_initModules' function will be called.  Needless to say,
the same will be done at image startup.

I still have to smooth some rough spots, but it's there.  I have to
test the installer, and to provide some sugar around
`libtool --mode=execute -dlopen tcp/libtcp.la ./gst' which is
required before you do `make install', but a bit long to type :-)
(huh, it comes to mind that --disable-shared has exactly that
purpose).

> PS: sorry for being so long and boring.

No problem at all!!


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