OrbixEvents Programmer's Guide

Preface

OrbixEvents implements the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) Event Service which is defined as part of the CORBAservices specification. The CORBAservices specification extends the core CORBA specification with a set of services commonly required in Object Request Broker (ORB) applications. OrbixEvents supports the Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP) for interoperable communications between CORBA implementations. Consequently, any IIOP-compliant ORB may interact with OrbixEvents.

Orbix documentation is periodically updated. New versions between releases are available at this site:

http://www.iona.com/docs/orbix/orbix33.html

If you need assistance with Orbix or any other IONA products, contact IONA at support@iona.com. Comments on IONA documentation can be sent to
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Audience

The OrbixEvents Programmer's Guide is intended for use by ORB application programmers who want to take advantage of the application communications model defined by the CORBA Event Service specification. This guide provides a detailed description of the Event Service communications model and describes how OrbixEvents implements this model.

This guide assumes that you are familiar with both the C++ programming language and with CORBA distributed programming. An OrbixEvents installation requires an existing Orbix or OrbixWeb installation but familiarity with either of these ORB implementations is not strictly necessary.

Organization of this Guide

The OrbixEvents Programmer's Guide consists of the following chapters and appendices.

Chapter 1, "Introduction to the CORBA Event Service"

This chapter provides an introduction to the concepts of OrbixEvents. In particular, it introduces the communications model defined by the CORBA Event Service specification.

Chapter 2, "The Programming Interface to the Event Service"

The interfaces to the CORBA Event Service are defined in IDL. This chapter describes these interfaces in detail.

Chapter 3, "OrbixEvents"

This chapter provides an overview of how OrbixEvents implements the CORBA Event Service specification.

Chapter 4, "Programming with the Untyped Push Model"

This chapter describes how to develop an OrbixEvents application that uses the Push model to transmit untyped events.

Chapter 5, "Programming with the Typed Push Model"

This chapter describes how to develop of an OrbixEvents application that uses the Push model to transfer typed events.

Chapter 6, "Programming with the Untyped Pull Model"

This chapter describes how to develop of an OrbixEvents application that uses the Pull model to transfer untyped events.

Chapter 7, "Compiling and Running an OrbixEvents Application"

This chapter explains how to compile and run an OrbixEvents application.

Chapter 8, "OrbixEvents Configuration"

The configuration overhead associated with OrbixEvents is minimal. However, Chapter 8, "OrbixEvents Configuration" addresses some issues associated with configuring an OrbixEvents based application.

Appendix A, "Event Service IDL Definitions"

CORBA defines the programming interface to the Event Service in IDL. The IDL definitions associated with the CORBA Event Service are referenced throughout this guide. Appendix A lists these definitions in full.

Appendix B, "Configuration File Settings"

This appendix lists the configuration settings that you can adjust with the Orbix configuration tool.

Appendix C, "OrbixEventsAdmin::ChannelManager"

OrbixEvents extends the CORBA programming interface to allow you to create and manage event channels within an OrbixEvents server. Appendix C describes this interface.

Document Conventions

This guide uses the following typographical conventions:

Constant width
Constant width (courier font) in normal text represents portions of code and literal names of items such as classes, functions, variables, and data structures. For example, text might refer to the CORBA::Object class. Constant width paragraphs represent code examples or information a system displays on the screen. For example:
#include <stdio.h>

Italic Italic words in normal text represent emphasis and new terms. Italic words or characters in code and commands represent variable values you must supply, such as arguments to commands or path names for your particular system. For example:
% cd /users/your_name

Constant width	Constant width (courier font) in normal text represents portions of code and literal names of items such as classes, functions, variables, and data structures. For example, text might refer to the `CORBA::Object` class. Constant width paragraphs represent code examples or information a system displays on the screen. For example: #include <stdio.h>
Italic	Italic words in normal text represent emphasis and new terms. Italic words or characters in code and commands represent variable values you must supply, such as arguments to commands or path names for your particular system. For example: % cd /users/your_name

This guide may use the following keying conventions:

No prompt When a command's format is the same for multiple platforms, no prompt is used.

% A percent sign represents the UNIX command shell prompt for a command that does not require root privileges.

# A number sign represents the UNIX command shell prompt for a command that requires root privileges.

> The notation > represents the DOS, Windows NT, or Windows 95 command prompt.

...
.
.
. Horizontal or vertical ellipses in format and syntax descriptions indicate that material has been eliminated to simplify a discussion.

[ ] Brackets enclose optional items in format and syntax descriptions.

{ } Braces enclose a list from which you must choose an item in format and syntax descriptions.

| A vertical bar separates items in a list of choices enclosed in { } (braces) in format and syntax descriptions.

No prompt	When a command's format is the same for multiple platforms, no prompt is used.
%	A percent sign represents the UNIX command shell prompt for a command that does not require root privileges.
#	A number sign represents the UNIX command shell prompt for a command that requires root privileges.
>	The notation > represents the DOS, Windows NT, or Windows 95 command prompt.
... . . .	Horizontal or vertical ellipses in format and syntax descriptions indicate that material has been eliminated to simplify a discussion.
[ ]	Brackets enclose optional items in format and syntax descriptions.
{ }	Braces enclose a list from which you must choose an item in format and syntax descriptions.
\|	A vertical bar separates items in a list of choices enclosed in { } (braces) in format and syntax descriptions.