[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 21598] New: webkit core need to be cleanly separated from "ports", behind a vector table

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=21598

           Summary: webkit core need to be cleanly separated from "ports",
                    behind a vector table
           Product: WebKit
           Version: 528+ (Nightly build)
          Platform: PC
        OS/Version: Mac OS X 10.5
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: WebKit API
        AssignedTo: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
        ReportedBy: lkcl at lkcl.net


vector tables.

a c struct containing pointers to higher order functions.  used extensively in
FreeDCE, linux kernel and the NT 4.0 kernel (e.g. the Lsa Security).

good library interfaces are _so_ divorced from other libraries that they don't
even access "standard" c or c++ libraries.  evvverry single function - of
everything that they need - goes into the vector table.

in the case of kernels, you don't have any choice but to do that.  in FreeDCE,
it was just good practice.

for webkit, it's a little insane to do a complete redesign of the library,
_but_ - a good starting point would be the boundary between the ports and the
webkit core (with the second stage being to _not_ call direct HTTP access for
XMLHTTPRequest, but to call out to the functions in the vector table, to
perform the URL data fetching.  that would be _extremely_ useful).

basically, the interface would look _incredibly_ similar to what
webkitwebview.cpp looks like at the moment.  except that you'd go via a vector
table, and the initialisation would involve setting some 80 functions.

_really_ good library design has ONE public function - ONE!  and it's the
function which returns you a pointer to the vector table, for the "port"
developers to fill in all of the higher order function pointers.

the advantages of taking this approach will be explained on the mailing list.

the amount of actual work required to be done is really quite remarkably small,
and would in many ways be quite simple and non-challenging (always nice to have
something _simple_ to do which offers quite a lot of advantages).


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