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On 01/04/11 05:50, Axel Kittenberger wrote:
I would have preferred some feedback on the real point of that post, which is that namespaces (module names, if you prefer) for possible additions to the almost-standard libraries that are being discussed, could be allocated before the code implementing them actually exists.I do not see what this should achieve.
It takes a step in the direction of doing for Lua what IANA did for well-known ports:
http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbersFirst person with an idea gets to ask for the namespace (in IANA's case a port number), and its reserved.
They document their API (in IANA's case, via RFC). Later other implementations of the same thing are possible.
Today, if you connect to port 1194, you can expect to talk OpenVPN.Some API's are so popular everyone wants to do their own implementation (port 25, or 80) - Who knows what implementation is on the back end, but the API is standardized.
Its not a perfect system, but the concept seems to have worked for the Internet. It balances new innovation with protecting what has already been done, and makes incremental improvements to existing APIs possible.