NAME

RPC::Simple - Perl classes to handle SRPC calls with call-back

SYNOPSIS

use RPC::Simple;

#see test.pl file

DESCRIPTION

Dummy class which loads RPC::Simple::AnyLocal and RPC::Simple::AnyRemote ;

This module deals with remote procedure call. I've tried to keep things simple.

So this module should be : - quite simple to use (thanks to autoload mechanisms) - lightweight

It sure is not : - DCE - CORBA - bulletproof - securityproof - foolproof

But it works. (Although I'm opened to suggestion regarging the "un-proof" areas)

The module is made of the following sub-classes :

RPC::Simple::Agent - Perl extension for an agent object 
RPC::Simple::AnyLocal - Perl extension defining a virtual RPC client class

RPC::Simple::AnyRemote - Perl base class for a remote object 
RPC::Simple::CallHandler - Perl class to handle RPC::Simple calls with call-back
RPC::Simple::Factory - Perl extension for creating client
RPC::Simple::ObjectHandler - Perl class to handle a remote object
RPC::Simple::Server - Perl class to use in the RPC::Simple server script.

Anyway, the casual user should worry only about inheriting the RPC::Simple::AnyLocal class and creating a RPC::Simple::Factory on the local side.

On the remote side, the user will only have to inherit RPC::Simple::AnyRemote and run the mainLoop method of RPC::Simple::Server.

How it works ? The user (i.e. you) must write a local class which inherit from AnyLocal. AnyLocal is designed to handle Agent and Factory.

AnyLocal --1---<>---1-- Agent --*--<>---Factory----<>--LAN
    |
   /\____
        |
        |
    LocalClass

First, the user script will have to : - instantiate one Factory. - Create its instance of LocalClass - LocalClass::new will call $self->createRemote, this will create the Agent class.

- Now any call to an undefined method of LocalClass will be forwarded 
to the Remote class.
If this call has 'callback' => [ $obj_ref, 'method'] as parameters, Agent
will call this object::method when the remote call is over. I.e. all remote
procedure call must be designed in asynchronous mode.

Note that Factory and Agent actually use Tk to manage the socket connection.

On the remote side, the user will write its RemoteClass which will inherit from AnyRemote.

LAN --1--<>--*-- Server --1--<>--*--ObjectHandler--1--<>--*--CallHandler
                                          |                        |
                                          1                        *
                                          |                        |
                                          --<>--1--AnyRemote--1-<>--
                                                       |
                                                      /\____
                                                           |
                                                           |
                                                      RemoteClass

RemoteClass will be called with the method name that was invoked for LocalClass.

TO DO

Write doc and test to handle remote processes.

AUTHOR

Dominique_Dumont@grenoble.hp.com

SEE ALSO

perl(1), RPC::Simple::AnyLocal(3), RPC::Simple::AnyRemote(3) .