Binary portability allows users to "drop in" a new computer - even one with a completely new processor with no disruption of applications or recompiling. This feature is so valuable, that many EDX users were slow to jump on the C/C++ bandwagon. C/C++ portability requries recompilation of all application code. Furthermore, variations in system headers (C interface descriptions) across unix variants make recompilation more troublesome than it should be.
Nevertheless, EDL - the primary programming language for EDX - is a fairly primitive language best described as "structured assembler". Would there ever be a language with modern object oriented features and widely implemented binary portability? Java can answer in the affirmative. Now EDX programmers can join the OO age without giving up the portability of EDX.
Now, the bmsi.edx Java package from
BMS
lets you mix Java and EDL code easily and efficiently. Based on the
freeware posix package
from BMS, EDXJava gives
your java code the same IPC access to the EDX/UNX virtual machine as
external C programs.
EDX/UNX also provides a way to load and invoke an external process from EDL code. A process invoked in this manner must recognize certain command arguments and respond to messages in a UI queue. The Edxuser class implements this framework in an easily extendable form.
To easily call Java methods from EDL, the Edxjava Java application
implements a "generic" user process that gives EDL code access to
Java classes that implement the
EDXServlet interface. The Edxjava JVM is loaded only once for each
EDX VM. It is loaded automatically by the EDL interface stub - and subsequent
EDL calls to Java methods are very efficient.
For seamless integration with EDL programs, Edxjava now provides
the EDX4978
class for direct access to the users edx4978 terminal emulator.
The bmsi.edx.fs
package provides classes to display screen panels and manage data fields.
Send comments to
Stuart D. Gathman.
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pooh@csichb.com.