Re: java.io.File and its native methods

[Etienne Gagnon]

Dalibor Topic wrote:
> I'm not sure what the precise naming semantics are, maybe it would make 
> sense to have interface that must be implemented by a VM into VM* 
> classes, and classes that can be implemented natively in a different 
> fashion in their own Platform* or Native* namespace. I'd prefer Native* 
> since it 'sounds right' when the distinction is made about native methods.

Dalibor, you understood exactly what I meant: there is a difference between
a native interface and a VM interface.  VM* classes should be reserved for
such things that only a VM can implement (e.g. low-level primitive reflection
functionality).

To classpath maintainers: If you want to separate all native calls to Native*
classes, I don't care, but please do not mix the VM* interface and the
Native* interface.  They are semantically quite different things.  I am suprized
that this is not plain obvious to some of you.

Etienne

--
Etienne M. Gagnon, Ph.D.             http://www.info.uqam.ca/~egagnon/
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