[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       orocos-dev
Subject:    [Orocos-Dev] Importing Toolkits
From:       peter.soetens () fmtc ! be (Peter Soetens)
Date:       2006-05-18 10:33:52
Message-ID: 200605181033.30011.peter.soetens () fmtc ! be
[Download RAW message or body]

On Tuesday 16 May 2006 17:47, Klaas Gadeyne wrote:
> > The new type system introduces the 'toolkit' extension to Orocos.
>
> This looks nice.  AFAIS we now have something _any_ third-party
> library could use if its functionality is used in orocos components.

Yes, but we need to provide a how-to.

>
> So suppose I have a library foo, I could make a separate subdirectory
> in the library source tree listening to the name orocos/ and put a
> file in that directory, e.g. orocos/FooToolkit.hpp containing the
> necessary defs.
>
> Now I suppose FooToolkit.hpp has to include some orocos-header files.
> Will it be necessary to have a FooToolkit.cxx file too (which means
> that orocos has to be installed first before I can compile mylibrary
> with "orocos-support")?

C++ provides the liberty to put everyting in a header file, but I advise 
against it since the current implementation generates quite some code
for the toolkits. You can also make a 'second' library which depends on your 
lib and on Orocos and which compiles this one file, meaning, your library 
does not need to know it is used by Orocos at compile/any time. That's a big 
advantage towards binary/backwards compatibility. You can thus even import a 
third party library into Orocos without recompiling it.

>
> After that, I can create orocos components using both the orocos
> library and my newly compiled foo-library and have all my types "fully
> supported", I guess?

Yes, as fully as the Orocos native types.

Peter
-- 
Peter Soetens -- FMTC -- <http://www.fmtc.be>

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]