Re: Java Bindings do not need to be removed was Re: Proposed PRF changes to address Ken's comments

[Nicolas Williams <Nicolas.Williams at Sun.COM>]

On Wed, Jun 29, 2005 at 07:58:25PM -0400, Jeffrey Altman wrote:
> I have given this subject much consideration.   I believe that the
> issues relating to Java and C# are no different than the issues related
> to the C binding.   What this document does is specify an
> "implementation specific extension" to GSS API version 2 update 1.
> As such, it is not going to be possible for a given application to be
> able to expect that this functionality exists without some
> implementation specific knowledge that it is there.  Simply knowing that
> we are using GSS API will not be enough.
> 
> I do not believe it is appropriate for this document (or any other
> document specifying an extension to GSSAPI v2 u1 that Kitten publishes
> before GSSAPI v3) to describe the tools necessary for a caller to
> determine whether or not the function/method is implemented by a given
> implementation.   The mistake that the document makes is by specifying
> that the method belongs to the "GSSContext" interface.   It is perfectly
>  reasonable for a Java class that implements the GSSContext interface to
> provide the prf() method even if it is not part of the GSSContext
> interface.  An application that expects to use the prf() prior to the
> availability of a GSSv3Context interface will need to obtain the
> GSSContext reference, use introspection on the resulting class to search
> for the method, and if it is found, use a class reference to access the
> method.
> 
> I believe that adding this method to the GSSManager class would violate
> the abstraction model.  prf is the first of many extensions this working
> group will be proposing.  Continuously adding new methods to GSSManager
> would result in a class definition that is constantly in a state of flux
> without providing any real benefit.

I agree.  Thanks.  I'll make the necessary edits and resubmit.

Nico
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