Re: [libvirt] Redesigning Libvirt: Adopting use of a safe language

As a point of reference, libguestfs started to allow OCaml in the daemon this summer, so effectively you can now use OCaml to implement libguestfs APIs. (I'm not suggesting libvirt should use OCaml). Some points: - We have a mixed C / OCaml daemon. The vast majority of the code is still C and will most likely always be in C. - This is an incremental approach. We can add new APIs in OCaml, or convert existing APIs from C to OCaml, but mostly existing APIs are left alone. - Our use of a generator makes this easier. The complexity is embedded in the generator. Developers just need to select whether an API is written in C or OCaml, and of course implement/ reimplement the API in the chosen language, and the generator handles the heavy lifting. - OCaml-implemented APIs are less code & safer, while being just as fast. Rich. -- Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones Read my programming and virtualization blog: http://rwmj.wordpress.com Fedora Windows cross-compiler. Compile Windows programs, test, and build Windows installers. Over 100 libraries supported. http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MinGW