[Seaside-dev] question on value of startup and shutdown lists being required

[Dale Henrichs]

Philippe Marschall wrote:
> One thing to keep in mind is package loading and package
> initialzation. Right now is looks like this:
> - provide Continuation
> - provide SeasidePlatformSupport
> - "normally" load Seaside-Core where "normally" means at the end
> happends class initialization
>
> The way I interpret 3 between loading the code and #initalize-ing the
> classes some other code has to be loaded in this case WAExternalId
> class >> #registerForStartup.
>
> Cheers
> Philippe
>   
In my earlier attempt at 3, #startup and #registerForStartup need to be 
platform specific methods. I can make startup platform independent (with 
a platform-specific extension method to Random), but I'm stuck with 
#registerForStartup as a problem - it would be nice if there were a post 
Seaside-Core platform-specific package.

Perhaps we can create a Seaside-Squeak-Extensions (and 
Seaside-GemStone-Extensions) package for the handful of extensions that 
are currently needed (including the squeak-specific 'cyclic dependency' 
extensions).

This approach would certainly solve the registerForStartup problem right 
now. I assume that as I move forward with my port, I will find other 
places where a post core load will be useful. There already is a 
platform-specific package for development extensions, so I assume the 
we'll end up with platform-specific core extensions in more areas.

You know, if we use a platform-specific extensions package, we can 
eliminate SeasidePlatformSupport - I don't know if that would be a good 
or bad thing. It is convenient to manage things in one spot, but given 
a  thorough test suite (which is already in place for most if not all of 
the base class extensions) it isn't necessary....95% of the references 
to SeasidePlatformSupprt messages are from a single method or a single 
class.

If we do eliminate SeasidePlatformSupport, then the platform Core 
package (except for Continuations) can be loaded after Seaside Core.

What do you think?

Dale