Name: rm29839 Date: 03/31/98


At present, I understand (hopefully incorrectly)
that Java application to application communication
is limited to some form of socket based communication
(e.g., RMI, URL, Socket...). There is overhead
associated with using a formal communications stack.
In many cases, I've needed a "real-time" communications
method to send data from one application to another,
and shared memory has been the answer. I realize that
Java doesn't support pointers, so conventional shared
memory wouldn't suffice. However, if a SharedStream
class was made available that used a form of serialization
(e.g., like RMI, but locally for higher speed), we could
develop communicating applications. Likewise, an interface
that would make an object "Global" (e.g., a named
instance able to be used by multiple applications) then
one application could simultaneously control several other
objects.

Without a means of producing both highspeed IPC and Global Read-only
objects, I'll be forced to use JNI and won't qualify for
100% Pure. If Java provided classes to functionally supported what
is possible with Shared Memory I believe you'd see more advanced
applications being developed. Any direction is greatly appreciated.
(Review ID: 26828)
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