[Idle-dev] Remote execution for IDLE

[Moshe Zadka]

On Mon, 13 Mar 2000, David Scherer wrote:

> > One question:
> > What protocol have you used for remote-method calls? A homebrew one, or
> > a well known one? Just idle curiousity.
> 
> Homebrew.  Reinventing that particular wheel was a useful exercise for me;
> I'm relatively new to Python and still exploring its strengths.
> 
> If anyone points out a better solution and a compelling reason to switch, I
> won't object strenuously.  

Secret Labs wrote the Python XML-RPC library (linked from www.xmlrpc.org).
XML-RPC is a cool protocol if you don't have too many expectations.
SOAP is a richer protocol, but currently there is no Python implementation
(though the effbot has spread the rumor that it is in the works)

> I do suspect that some kind of "distributed
> object" architecture is needed if things like a real debugger are to be
> implemented in reasonable time.  Worrying about protocol issues at the same
> time as trying to design a usable debugger doesn't sound like a recipe for
> success.

Hence my allusion to XML-RPC, so you can implement your debugger. XML-RPC
is simple enough it can even be implemented in C in a reasonable amount
of time <0.5 wink>, but I haven't played as much as I'd like with
xmlrpclib.py...

(Anyway, using xmlrpclib in Python is a pretty good way to get Guido to
include it in the Python distribution <0.3 wink>)

remote-ly y'rs, Z.
--
Moshe Zadka <mzadka@geocities.com>. 
http://www.oreilly.com/news/prescod_0300.html
http://www.linux.org.il -- we put the penguin in .com