Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!claris!sts!cohesive!megatest!djones
From: djones@megatest.UUCP (Dave Jones)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Interface Description Language (IDL)
Message-ID: <8078@goofy.megatest.UUCP>
Date: 15 Sep 89 23:15:57 GMT
References: <14012@megaron.arizona.edu>
Organization: Megatest Corporation, San Jose, Ca
Lines: 13

IDL sounds pretty good. After becoming exasperated with the silliness
of XDR, I wrote a couple of data-structure serializer/deserializer packages,
but I never was completely happy with either. I just never had the time
to devote to it. I would enjoy seeing it done right. You wouldn't think it was
that big a deal, but it probably takes a few iterations and some
experimentation to get it just so.

I'm hoping that the implementation codes interface data in text, or has an
option to do so. That way, running things between ascii and ebcdic machines
only requires a text-filter. Also there is no problem with integer byte
order, and less trouble with integer size, floating point format, etc., etc..

So is it available, and if so, where do I get info about it?