[Opensim-dev] Should the core OpenSim distribution carry manyscripting languages?

[Michael Wright]

+1 too, I think we need to expand this to a more general "rule". And when new modules etc are added, ask ourselves do they really belong in the core. Or would they be better placed in a CPAN type repository. 

After our experience of trying adding custom features to the backend commuincations/servers. I'm actually leaning towards questioning if the backend servers should really even be part of the core. Or if we really should just have a "framework" for creating backend systems in core. I know this is most likely more extreme than most people's thoughts. But I do believe its going to come up more and more in the future, unless we only are ever going to support SL clone type applications. 


Dr Scofield <DrScofield at xyzzyxyzzy.net> wrote: Chris Down wrote:
> +1 here.
>
> I agree with everything Justin has said.
>   
+1 here. particularly the python bit :-D

    cheers,
    dr scofield
> Regards
>
> Chris Down
>  
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: opensim-dev-bounces at lists.berlios.de [mailto:opensim-dev-
>> bounces at lists.berlios.de] On Behalf Of Justin Clark-Casey
>> Sent: 02 June 2008 01:44
>> To: opensim-dev at lists.berlios.de
>> Subject: [Opensim-dev] Should the core OpenSim distribution carry
>> manyscripting languages?
>>
>> Hi there,
>>
>> Last week, Kinoc was kind enough to write an implementation of Yield
>> Prolog where YP is translated into underlying C# for compilation (in the
>> same manner as our current LSL support).  This patch was included in
>> OpenSim in r4927.
>>
>> I have nothing against Prolog (admittedly I have never had the chance to
>> pick up) and certainly nothing against Kinoc.  However, I am concerned
>> that by including many scripting languages in the OpenSim core
>> distribution (if Prolog, why not Javascript, Ruby, Python, etc, etc.) we
>> incur more negatives than positives.  Firstly, I'm concerned that a
>> proportion of this code (particularly that which no core committer has
>> an interest in) will at some point slip into decay, particularly if the
>> original contributor has moved on to other things.  We've already seen
>> this happen with other areas of the code, such as the MSSQL database
>> support.
>>
>> Secondly, if individual language modules do need to change in response
>> to other OpenSim changes without a decay option (for example, in order
>> that they can still compile), this places a higher burden on the core
>> committers and makes it more costly to enhance the codebase in general.
>>
>> Thirdly, I'm concerned that the more code we have of this nature
>> (particular code which compiles script into c#), the more potential
>> security holes we have.  This isn't too much of a concern right now but
>> will be come more of an issue in the future.
>>
>> Therefore, I would argue that OpenSimulator should only include in its
>> core distribution support for a few scripting languages.  In my opinion
>> these would be LSL, maybe C# and possibly one other (maybe Python).
>> Support for other languages would come as optional plugins, available
>> either directly from the author or from some satellite repository
>> (perhaps similar to Perl's CPAN or PHP's PEAR).  I would personally
>> prefer to see the core OpenSim distribution kept relatively lean and mean.
>>
>> If necessary, I am happy to make any necessary infrastructure changes to
>> make language plugins possible/easier (which probably also means making
>> much needed enhancements to the plugin system).
>>
>> What do other people think?
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> --
>> justincc
>> Justin Clark-Casey
>> http://justincc.wordpress.com
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>
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>   


-- 
dr dirk husemann ---- virtual worlds research ---- ibm zurich research lab
SL: dr scofield ---- drscofield at xyzzyxyzzy.net ---- http://xyzzyxyzzy.net/
RL: hud at zurich.ibm.com - +41 44 724 8573 - http://www.zurich.ibm.com/~hud/

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