CORBA 3.4 RTF Avatar
  1. OMG Issue

CORBA34 — issue on component supporting abstract interfaces

  • Key: CORBA34-58
  • Legacy Issue Number: 5910
  • Status: closed  
  • Source: Laboratoire d`Informatique Fondamentale de Lille ( Raphael Marvie)
  • Summary:

    The following information is sent in order for the specification to
    clearly state if components and local interfaces can support abstract
    interfaces (the specification is confusing on this point).

    CORBA 3.0.1 does not explicitely states if a component can support an
    abstract interface, thus it can be considered that it is possible. If so
    a big problem arises as local interfaces inheriting abstract ones is
    confusing in the specification.

    In addition, it is neither explicitely stated that provides and uses
    declarations can or cannot be of types defined through abstract
    interfaces. It does not seem to make sense for a port to be an abstract
    type. Facets will never be used by value, and an operation cannot
    (should not) return the reference of a facet or a valuetype (which would
    be in favor of provides to be defined using abstract interfaces).

      • Problem

    Consider the following definitions which are correct regarding
    formal/02-12-06:

    /* omg idl3 */

    abstract interface I

    { void foo () ; } ;


    component C supports I {
    } ;


    The mapping to OMG IDL2 of these definitions is not correct right now as
    they become:


    /* omg idl2 */


    abstract interface I { void foo () ; }

    ;

    interface C : Components::CCMObject, I { } ;

    local interface CCM_C : I { } ;

    According to formal/02-12-06, the last line may not be correct. Local
    interfaces may not inherit abstract interfaces (section 10.5.28). (I use
    may as it is confusing and can lead to various understanding of the
    spec.)

      • Potential solutions:

    1. State in the CORBA 3.0.1 that components cannot support abstract
    interfaces. In favor: Could ne considered as a minor change. Against: a
    component reference cannot be returned by an operation that can return
    an object by value or by reference. This solution looks cleaner that the
    second one from a software engineering point of view.

    2. Clearly state that components and local interfaces can support
    abstract interfaces. This use may be surprising from a software
    engineering point of view, but may be important for some users. This
    bring back the debate "quality vs powerfulness".

    In any case, I think it should be clearly stated if local interfaces may
    or may not inherit abstract ones.

  • Reported: CORBA 3.0.2 — Wed, 23 Apr 2003 04:00 GMT
  • Disposition: Deferred — CORBA 3.4
  • Disposition Summary:

    Deferred

    This proposal was generated automatically by request of the Task Force Chair Adam Mitz.

  • Updated: Wed, 1 Feb 2023 21:59 GMT