Re: Question, GSoC Idea `Easier Access to Native Libraries using JNA/JNR"

[Per Bothner <per at bothner dot com>]

On 04/02/2017 04:07 AM, Vasantha Ganesh wrote:
>   I have been trying to write a proposal for ``Easier Access to Native
> Libraries using JNA/JNR" idea for my GSoC project.
>
> The access to native libraries is available through popular libraries
> such as JNA and JNR. Access to native libraries in Kawa is just like
> any other Java library in a very consistent way (strengths of Kawa?).
>
> I tried looking into the Ruby wrappers. JRuby is trying to make their
> FFI API compliant with other implementations. So that Code on JRuby
> can run in the same way as other Ruby implementations.
>
> Common lisp is trying to do something similar with CFFI. Common lisp
> implementations are trying to make their code that can run on other
> implementations in the same way. This calls for a common API (CFFI).

Looks like you've done some good research.

> But in scheme we are not trying to be compliant with any other Scheme
> implementations. Take Guile and Kawa for example. Guile code does not
> necessarily run on Kawa. Also, Guile has its own FFI.
>
> These are just my views. I would like to know the motivation of this
> project because I'm fuzzy about the usefulness of this project.

I'm afraid I haven't JNA or JNR myself, so I don't know firsthald how
useful they are, or how much a Kawa binding would help.

What was an open question was whether a Kawa wrapper (i.e. some
well-design Scheme procedures and/or macros) would make JNA or JNR
easier to use. You've suggested that it probably wouldn't.  Or at
least we don't have enough experience with possible "pain points"
to identify areas where a Kawa wrapper would make using JNR
noticeable easier or more pleasant, partly because Kawa already makes
it very easy and pleasant to use the Java API as-is.  Right?

> It might be a little late to write proposal for other ideas.

Probably  You could take a look at the "function types using MethodHandles"
idea that I mentioned in an email March 13, and detailed here:
https://www.gnu.org/software/kawa/Ideas-and-tasks.html#Optimized-function-types-and-values-using-MethodHandles

This is definitely useful, and at least I myself understand both the problem
and a general direction for solving it.  You could use the text from my link.
The problem is it requires a fair bit of understanding of Kawa.  For a GSoC
proposal you should should that you understand the problem and have a general
plan for how to solve it.  That may be difficult in less than 2 days.
--
	--Per Bothner
per@bothner.com   http://per.bothner.com/