Re: Call for volunteers for C/C++ API liaison manager

[Joe Touch <[e-mail]>]

On 5/1/2014 5:12 AM, Thomas Nadeau wrote:
>
> 	APIs are not that useful unless there is code behind them.

Ultimately, yes. But the code represents an instance of the API.

The "application" layer actions in RFC793 - SEND, RECEIVE, CONNECT, 
LISTEN - are *not* the same as the Unix socket API; Unix sockets are one 
implementation of that interface.

 > Are you proposing code that goes with those APIs?

Yes, just as I would propose code that implements a protocol. But I 
don't think either one is useful in the IETF except as an example - 
definitely never as a specification.

> Also the language that you do this in is important depending on the
> area of applicability.

Just as much (or little) as the physical layer (802.11, ethernet, 
carrier pigeon) is important to IP.

 > For instance, if these APIs are related to modern
> applications, C is all but useless because its not used to build most of
> those; you need Java/python/etc... for these cases.

If you don't have C, you often don't have scripted languages that are 
(often) compiled from C source code.

However, that depends on your compiler and the environment in which you 
develop your languages. That's important for language developers, but 
not the IETF (any more than we spec how to build pigeon coops).

Joe