DDL 1.2 Beta

[Pragma]

Craig Black wrote:
> Nice work!  Does DDL do dynamic class loading?
> 
> -Craig 
> 
> 

Yes, but not in the Java sense of the word - at least not yet. ;)

At the moment, DDL operates that the module/library level.  Once you 
have that loaded (.obj, .lib, .o, or what have you) and linked, then you 
interrogate it for what symbols it provides.  So it's operating a 
slightly lower level than we'd prefer.  However, this is a level at 
which Java is clear as mud, so I'd like to think that this approach is 
much more modifiable and extensible.

In the case of finding class information, you can use the template 
methods exposed on the DynamicLibrary class to find a particular ctor or 
ClassInfo, or use the ExportClass template for a more well-honed approach.

I'll take the opportunity here to note one other important difference 
between Java and D/DDL.  Due to D's design as a statically compiled 
language, one cannot achieve lazy class loading at every call to 'new'. 
  Instead, every external reference that a given module has, must be 
resolved during a link pass before that library can be safely used.

In essence: The same drawbacks that exist at "compile-and-link time" are 
the same as at "run-and-link time".

Anyway, the Linker class helps with the above - any call to a link() 
method will  result in an Exception if the library in question cannot be 
fully resolved.

-- 
- EricAnderton at yahoo