> From: "Joseph Alba" <jalba@...>
>
> Oracle implements this using "cartridges".

Hi,

A couple of ideas I had some time ago, but thought too 'silly' to suggest,
might be worth mentioning here, if only to be thrown out :-)

- Interbase could take the 'Linux Modules' approach to UDF's. In Linux you
can either compile the 'driver' for your modem, NIC etc. into the Kernel for
better performance, but increased kernel size, or you can keep the 'driver'
as a stand alone module that is called when needed, kernel size is lower,
but performance is not quite so good when the module is loaded. This method
applied to Interbase will allow UDF's to be 'compiled' into Interbase to
those that want specialist functions (spatial objects etc.) in the 'core',
or used as they are now. That way Interbase could be a small, less
functional RDBMS, or a large ORACLE monster depending on requirements. It
would also mean that forking could almost be avoided as the same 'core'
product could remain the same (and improving), and people just add their
required functionality.

- As easy as UDF's are to use, they could be made REALLY easy to use (no
worries about path names, entry points etc.). If a UDF library had a file
extension of some sort, you could just put the file in /Interbase/Bin, and
Interbase would 'magically' read the export table of the library, and make
the UDF's available as if they were 'core' functions, with no need to
declare them manually.

Obviously I know nothing about the internal workings of Interbase, whether
the above are possible or even desired.

Feel free to say 'Silly idea'....

Cheers

Phil Shrimpton
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