[plt-dev] Java FFI?

As far as I know, we don't already have any particular libraries or
support for working with a JVM.

At Tue, 25 May 2010 13:07:28 -0400, Shriram Krishnamurthi wrote:
> It's been a while since I've looked closely at our FFI docs, so maybe
> this question has a trivial answer, but I can't find it by searching.
> 
> For our security tools, we used to use the C FFI for a long time.  But
> then we switched out some of the underlying infrastructure, which is
> in Java instead of C.  It was much easier to prototype in SISC than in
> PLT Scheme, so we switched to SISC for a while.
> 
> Unfortunately, of course, the script grew up into a program.  Since
> there is likely to be a major re-implementation in the near future,
> this is a good time to port it back to PLT.  (Plus, I hear there's
> this incredibly cool new thing called Racket coming out, and we want
> to jump on the bandwagon so we're thought of as cool kids.)
> 
> Question: What is the current state of an FFI to Java or the JVM?  It
> presumably won't be as nice as that in SISC, but we understand that
> trade-off.  However, with only one grad student on the tool, and his
> time mostly spent on the theory, we don't want to get stuck in a rut
> building and maintaining an FFI infrastructure.  We'd rather use a
> sanctioned and mantained FFI instead.
> 
> Is there already a good Java FFI story?  If not, are we the only ones
> who could really use one?  I'd have thought the Untyped and other Web
> guys would have real use for one.
> 
> Shriram
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