Re: [DotGNU](no subject)

[Rhys Weatherley]

Tali Streit wrote:

> I figure a default form of serialization would simplify matters
> dramatically. this would effectively give us the ability for a distributed
> memberwise clone. All built in types would be covered and the default
> behaviour for user defined types is to enumerate through the members.

This may solve the problem of cloning an object's state
across machine boundaries, but it won't solve the behaviour
problem.  Objects are a combination of state and behaviour
(usually defined by methods).  To migrate an object to
a different host in a distributed environment will also
entail migrating the implementation.

This is a tough problem unless one assumes that the other
host is running an identical copy of the program, or that it
is aware of the specific object types that are being passed
to it.  SOAP takes the latter approach: the server is
assumed to know what to do with an object sent by the
client, and vice versa.  The behaviour is hard-wired.

If you want to tackle this problem, then have at it.

Cheers,

Rhys.