From: Martin Chilvers <martin@dstc.edu.au>
Subject: Fnorb 0.8
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 98 02:39:29 GMT

Greetings Python Friends!

Announcing a brand spanking new release (version 0.8) of 'Fnorb' the Python
CORBA ORB.

Here are the changes as described in the CHANGES file:-

Fnorb 0.8
---------

1) Format of stubs and skeletons changed, so you will need to recompile 8^(

2) Recursive structures/unions now fully supported.

3) Additional options for 'fnidl' to control the location of generated files
   (see the user guide for more details).

4) Stubs and skeletons for IDL definitions at the global scope are now placed
   by default in the packages '_GlobalIDL' and '_GlobalIDL_skel' instead of
   in packages with the same base name as the IDL file.  This can be overridden
   however, using the new '--globals=' option on fnidl.

5) Typecode factory methods added to the ORB interface as per the spec. e.g.
   create_enum_tc, create_sequence_tc etc.
 
6) Functions 'octet_to_ASCII' and 'ASCII_to_octet' moved from Util.py and
   re-implemented in 'C' in the 'cdr' module. Faster compilation and faster
   runtime performance!

7) All GIOP types now available to the programmer.

8) Serious bug in the marshalling of arrays fixed (many thanks to Martin von
   Loewis for spotting this one).

9) Memory leak client-side fixed (thanks to Chris Wright).

10) Numerous more minor bug fixes (thanks to Timothy Docker and everybody else
    who submitted bug reports!).

Things on the TODO RSN list:-

1) Handle 'CloseConnection' messages sensibly.
2) Multi-threaded support for both clients and servers.
3) Move documentation to PDF format.

Get more details and download Fnorb from:-

	http://www.dstc.edu.au/Fnorb

The Fnorb Development Team

c/o

Martin

 _--_|\  Martin Chilvers,                           Voice: +61-7-3365-4310
/      * Research Scientist, Architectures Unit,    Fax:   +61-7-3365-4311
\_.--._/ DSTC, Level 7, GP South, Staff House Road, Email: martin@dstc.edu.au
      v  The University of Queensland, QLD 4072.

---- From the Fnorb README ----

What is Fnorb?

Fnorb is a CORBA 2.0 ORB written in Python (with just the eensiest-teensiest
bit of C code for marshalling and parsing ;^). Python is a mature,
interpreted, object-oriented programming language with powerful high-level
datatypes that make it ideally suited as a scripting language for CORBA.
Best of all Python is free so check it out!

Like ILU from Xerox PARC, Fnorb gives the Python programmer access to the
wonderful world of CORBA. It supports all CORBA 2.0 datatypes (including
Any's) and provides a full implementation of IIOP.  Unlike ILU, Fnorb is
Python and CORBA/IDL specific which makes it simple, light-weight, and easy
to install and use.

Using Fnorb, you no longer have to use <insert your least favourite language
here - who said C++ ;^)> to write CORBA clients and servers - you can now
use, yep you guessed it, Python!  This makes Fnorb ideal for prototyping
complex CORBA architectures, for use as a scripting tool, and for building
test harnesses for all your CORBA development projects.

The Python language mapping used by Fnorb is based on the 'living' document
that is being prepared by members of the DO-SIG.  One goal of Fnorb is to
allow the Python community to experiment with the mapping before we attempt
to set it in stone via the OMG standardisation process.

Fnorb is being developed as part of the Hector project at the CRC for
Distributed Systems Technology based at the University of Queensland in
Brisbane, Australia.

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