Re: From c to c++ (or even java)

[Michael Walker <msw@polyslo.Eng.Sun.COM>]

Just a couple of points/clarifications.

Java applets are a special (restricted) form of a java application which can
run under a WEB browser.  It is also possible to write stand-alone
java applications which run under the Java virtual machine.  An
example of this would the HotJava browser that is available.  This
is actually a Java application which is a Web browser
that is able to run Java applets.

I think it would make a lot of sense to first do the client
as a Java applet and maintain the client/server as a c/C++
application.  This would give a wide number of client platforms
while still maintaining the speed of the c/c++ server.

In later stages it *might* be worth looking into converting
the server into a Java application.  Probably as Java has
matured a little more (been streemlined) and when the Java
'just-in-time' compiler has been released.


_Mike_


=> 
=> some points:
=> 
=>   * crossfire requires peer-to-peer communication with client-
=>     server architecture (peer-to-peer means there is spontaneous
=>     data exchange for both direction (server sends maps, client
=>     send commands) not request-reply, client-server means
=>     instantiation roles, server up first, client then with
=>     known server address).
=> 
=>   * in java architecture program (applet) is created and precompiled
=>     to bytecode in provider site. www browser the makes a request
=>     for that program, that is then replyed to the browser. browser
=>     starts plugin java-interpreter that runs byte-code, resulting
=>     ususally graphical presentation to browser.
=> 
=>   * for crossfire I see there is possible to make java-client,
=>     that when it's runned makes a connection to cf-server by
=>     java-network-objects (does this exists ?)
=> 
=>   * for creating server by java is a bit problematic thing
=>     with java architecture. It might not be reasonable to run
=>     cf-server on www-browser with java-interpreter (does
=>     there exist stand-alone java interpreters ?).
=> 
=> more later ;)
=> 
=> <A HREF="http://www.lut.fi/~hevi/">Petri.Heinila@lut.fi</A>
=> 

-- 
---
Michael Walker				 Michael.Walker@Eng.Sun.Com