Lesson plan
interface description language
An interface description language or interface definition language (IDL) is a generic term for a computer programming language that lets a program or object written in one programming language communicate with another program written in an unknown programming language. IDLs are usually used to describe data types and interfaces in a language-independent way, for example, between those written in C++ and those written in Java. IDLs are commonly used in remote procedure call software. In these cases, the machines at either end of the link may be using different operating systems and computer languages. IDLs offer a bridge between the two different operating systems. Software systems based on IDLs include Sun Microsystems' Sun RPC, The Open Group's Distributed Computing Environment, the IBM System Object Model, the Object Management Group's Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) (which implements OMG IDL, an IDL based on DCE/RPC) and Data Distribution Service, Mozilla's XPCOM, Microsoft RPC (which evolved into Component Object Model (COM) and Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)), and Web Services Description Language (WSDL) for Web services.
Article summary
An interface description language or interface definition language (IDL) is a generic term for a computer programming language that lets a program or object written in one programming language communicate with another program written in an unknown programming language. IDLs are usually used to describe data types and interfaces in a language-independent way, for example, between those written in C++ and those written in Java. IDLs are commonly used in remote procedure call software. In these cases, the machines at either end of the link may be using different operating systems and computer languages. IDLs offer a bridge between the two different operating systems. Software systems based on IDLs include Sun Microsystems' Sun RPC, The Open Group's Distributed Computing Environment, the IBM System Object Model, the Object Management Group's Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) (which implements OMG IDL, an IDL based on DCE/RPC) and Data Distribution Service, Mozilla's XPCOM, Microsoft RPC (which evolved into Component Object Model (COM) and Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)), and Web Services Description Language (WSDL) for Web services.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.